The points of issue
TCG edition, 1994 (ISBN 1-55936-073-9), issued in hardcover and in wrappers. Copyright page carries 1992/1994 (and later 1995) copyright dates; the true first printing states 'First Edition' for 1994 with no later printing noted, and the hardcover dust jacket carries the original price on the front flap. The text was still being revised, so later printings (for example 'Fourth printing, November 1994') differ; the first printing is scarcer.
Is this the true first?
US TCG 1994 is the first separate book edition of the completed Part Two. It pairs with Millennium Approaches; a true two-volume first set is the 1993 Part One first and the 1994 Part Two first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A US book-club hardcover of Perestroika exists, distinguished from the true first by the absence of a price on the dust jacket flap and a slightly shorter format. The revised combined omnibus 'Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes' (1995, ISBN 1-55936-107-7) is a later 'first thus,' not the original Perestroika first. Watch for printings with altered text or an advanced printing line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: TCG edition, 1994 (ISBN 1-55936-073-9), issued in hardcover and in wrappers. Copyright page carries 1992/1994 (and later 1995) copyright dates; the true first printing states 'First Edition' for 1994 with no later printing noted, and the hardcover dust jacket carries the original price on the front flap. The text was still being revised, so later printings (for example 'Fourth printing, November 1994') differ; the first printing is scarcer.
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. US TCG 1994 is the first separate book edition of the completed Part Two. It pairs with Millennium Approaches; a true two-volume first set is the 1993 Part One first and the 1994 Part Two first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A US book-club hardcover of Perestroika exists, distinguished from the true first by the absence of a price on the dust jacket flap and a slightly shorter format. The revised combined omnibus 'Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes' (1995, ISBN 1-55936-107-7) is a later 'first thus,' not the original Perestroika first. Watch for printings with altered text or an advanced printing lin
I have a first edition of Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika — 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.