# Is "Appointment in Samarra" by John O'Hara a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1934) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page. The US Harcourt, Brace printing is the true first; the UK Faber edition follows in 1935.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page
- Glazed black cloth, spine titles in gilt, yellow topstain; [viii],301,[3]pp
- Earliest state has an errata slip tipped in following the copyright page
- First-issue dust jacket with its printed price with "Recent Fiction" on the rear panel
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John O'Hara |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Company |
| Year | 1934 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page. Glazed black cloth, spine titles in gilt, yellow topstain; [viii],301,[3]pp. Earliest state has an errata slip tipped in following the copyright page. First-issue dust jacket with its printed price with "Recent Fiction" on the rear panel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harcourt, Brace printing is the true first; the UK Faber edition follows in 1935. Cataloged as Bruccoli A2.1.a.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue this early. Reprints lack the "First Edition" statement; a Grosset & Dunlap reprint exists.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Appointment in Samarra* by John O'Hara a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/appointment-in-samarra
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.