# Is "Americana" by Don DeLillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Americana by Don DeLillo (Houghton Mifflin, 1971) is identified by: "First Printing" stated on the copyright page (firsts also carry the "W" on the copyright page); quarter blue cloth over red paper boards, title stamped in blue; price-clipped-free dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap. US Houghton Mifflin is the true first; the UK Penguin edition came much later (1990).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Printing" stated on the copyright page (firsts also carry the "W" on the copyright page); quarter blue cloth over red paper boards, title stamped in blue; price-clipped-free dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap
- Scarce first novel, roughly 4,500 copies
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Don DeLillo |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Printing" stated on the copyright page (firsts also carry the "W" on the copyright page); quarter blue cloth over red paper boards… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
"First Printing" stated on the copyright page (firsts also carry the "W" on the copyright page); quarter blue cloth over red paper boards, title stamped in blue; price-clipped-free dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap. Scarce first novel, roughly 4,500 copies.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin is the true first; the UK Penguin edition came much later (1990).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note. Reprints lack the "First Printing" line and the "W."

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Americana* by Don DeLillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/americana
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.