The points of issue
Copyright page carries a full descending number line ending in 1. Maroon cloth spine over maroon boards with gilt spine lettering; octavo, 364 pp; ISBN 0-684-87435-0. First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
The US Scribner edition is the true first, preceding the UK (Flamingo/HarperCollins) edition. The book won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Biography/Autobiography. Signed first printings carry no precedence over unsigned firsts.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No widely distributed US book-club hardcover competes with the Scribner first; the common confusion is later Scribner printings (number line ending in 2 or higher) and the UK first. A true first shows the 1 in the number line and the priced first-issue jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Angela's Ashes: A Memoir a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page carries a full descending number line ending in 1. Maroon cloth spine over maroon boards with gilt spine lettering; octavo, 364 pp; ISBN 0-684-87435-0. First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Scribner edition is the true first, preceding the UK (Flamingo/HarperCollins) edition. The book won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Biography/Autobiography. Signed first printings carry no precedence over unsigned firsts.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No widely distributed US book-club hardcover competes with the Scribner first; the common confusion is later Scribner printings (number line ending in 2 or higher) and the UK first. A true first shows the 1 in the number line and the priced first-issue jacket.
I have a first edition of Angela's Ashes: A Memoir — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.