# Is "Andersonville" by MacKinlay Kantor a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor (The World Publishing Company, 1955) is identified by: World Publishing trade first: copyright page carries a 'FIRST EDITION' statement. US World Publishing 1955 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- World Publishing trade first: copyright page carries a 'FIRST EDITION' statement
- Thick octavo of roughly 767 pages in cloth, in a first-issue jacket that carries the printed retail price on the front flap
- Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1956
- Publisher imprint reads The World Publishing Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | MacKinlay Kantor |
| Publisher | The World Publishing Company |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | World Publishing trade first: copyright page carries a 'FIRST EDITION' statement |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
World Publishing trade first: copyright page carries a 'FIRST EDITION' statement. Thick octavo of roughly 767 pages in cloth, in a first-issue jacket that carries the printed retail price on the front flap. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1956.

## Is this the true first?
US World Publishing 1955 is the true first. A signed 'Stockade Edition' (limited) was also issued for a Civil War book club, distinct from the trade first; the trade point of issue is the 'FIRST EDITION' statement on the copyright page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies are very common: they typically lack the 'FIRST EDITION' statement, often show a blind-stamp on the rear board, and carry a jacket without the printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Andersonville* by MacKinlay Kantor a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/andersonville
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.