# Is "An American Dream" by Norman Mailer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of An American Dream by Norman Mailer (The Dial Press, 1965) is identified by: Dial Press imprint with the 1965 date on the title/copyright page and no statement of a later printing. US Dial Press is the first book edition, preceding the UK Andre Deutsch edition of 1965.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dial Press imprint with the 1965 date on the title/copyright page and no statement of a later printing
- Quarter blue cloth over grey boards, silver spine lettering, 270 pp; first-issue jacket (art by Paul Bacon) carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads The Dial Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Norman Mailer |
| Publisher | The Dial Press |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dial Press imprint with the 1965 date on the title/copyright page and no statement of a later printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Dial Press imprint with the 1965 date on the title/copyright page and no statement of a later printing. Quarter blue cloth over grey boards, silver spine lettering, 270 pp; first-issue jacket (art by Paul Bacon) carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Dial Press is the first book edition, preceding the UK Andre Deutsch edition of 1965. The text first appeared serially in Esquire in 1964, but the Dial hardcover is the first book edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue is typically blind-stamped on the rear board and comes in an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *An American Dream* by Norman Mailer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/an-american-dream
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.