# Is "All the Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (Alfred A. Knopf, 1992) is identified by: The true first edition of All the Pretty Horses is the Alfred A. US Knopf (1992) is the true first—Volume One of the Border Trilogy and McCarthy's breakthrough (National Book Award).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition of All the Pretty Horses is the Alfred A. Knopf hardcover of 1992 (Volume I of the Border Trilogy), with First Edition stated on the copyright page above the Borzoi colophon
- It is bound in black cloth-backed black paper boards with the spine lettered in silver and the author's initials stamped in silver on the front cover, the fore edge untrimmed; many copies show a green stain to the top edge
- The jacket was designed by Chip Kidd
- On the properly issued first-state jacket the front flap blurb opens with a large decorative capital A and the rear panel carries five advance-praise review quotes (including Publishers Weekly); the code 5/92 appears at the foot of the rear flap and the printed price is present on the front flap (a first-issue jacket should retain that printed price)
- A scarcer trial jacket exists lacking both the decorative A and the advance-praise notices, but it was not officially issued with the published book
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Cormac McCarthy |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition of All the Pretty Horses is the Alfred A. Knopf hardcover of 1992 (Volume I of the Border Trilogy), with First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first edition of All the Pretty Horses is the Alfred A. Knopf hardcover of 1992 (Volume I of the Border Trilogy), with First Edition stated on the copyright page above the Borzoi colophon. It is bound in black cloth-backed black paper boards with the spine lettered in silver and the author's initials stamped in silver on the front cover, the fore edge untrimmed; many copies show a green stain to the top edge. The jacket was designed by Chip Kidd. On the properly issued first-state jacket the front flap blurb opens with a large decorative capital A and the rear panel carries five advance-praise review quotes (including Publishers Weekly); the code 5/92 appears at the foot of the rear flap and the printed price is present on the front flap (a first-issue jacket should retain that printed price). A scarcer trial jacket exists lacking both the decorative A and the advance-praise notices, but it was not officially issued with the published book.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf (1992) is the true first—Volume One of the Border Trilogy and McCarthy's breakthrough (National Book Award). The number line ending in '1' plus 'First Edition' is decisive. Signed first printings carry strong premiums.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition and are far less collectible. The Borzoi colophon and “A Note on the Type” page authenticate genuine Knopf production rather than a book-club reprint; a genuine first also states First Edition with no later number line. Use the points above to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *All the Pretty Horses* by Cormac McCarthy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/all-the-pretty-horses
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.