# Is "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1946) is identified by: First edition has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Harcourt's 1940s practice; no number line in this era, the statement is removed on later printings). US Harcourt, Brace 1946 true first; the 1947 Pulitzer winner.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Harcourt's 1940s practice; no number line in this era, the statement is removed on later printings)
- Binding is red cloth
- First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and a Sinclair Lewis blurb on the rear panel; a later jacket state omits the Sinclair Lewis text from the rear panel
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Penn Warren |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Company |
| Year | 1946 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Harcourt's 1940s practice; no number line in this era, the statement is… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Harcourt's 1940s practice; no number line in this era, the statement is removed on later printings). Binding is red cloth. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and a Sinclair Lewis blurb on the rear panel; a later jacket state omits the Sinclair Lewis text from the rear panel.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt, Brace 1946 true first; the 1947 Pulitzer winner. The point is the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings remove the 'First Edition' statement. Book-club editions lack the statement and the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *All the King's Men* by Robert Penn Warren a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/all-the-kings-men
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.