# Is "Armageddon in Retrospect" by Kurt Vonnegut a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2008) is identified by: First trade edition identified by a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; priced, unclipped jacket. True first is the 2008 G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First trade edition identified by a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; priced, unclipped jacket
- Posthumous collection of new and unpublished writings on war and peace, with an introduction by Mark Vonnegut
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kurt Vonnegut |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade edition identified by a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; priced, unclipped jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First trade edition identified by a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; priced, unclipped jacket. Posthumous collection of new and unpublished writings on war and peace, with an introduction by Mark Vonnegut.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 2008 G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York) edition, published posthumously.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Armageddon in Retrospect* by Kurt Vonnegut a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/armageddon-in-retrospect
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.