John D. MacDonald First Editions

• The Brass Cupcake — 1950 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal number 124, paperback original, 1950 — MacDonald's first novel, issued in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Barye Phillips. A true first-printing copy carries no later-printing notation on the copyright page and shows the Gold Medal the printed price on the front cover. Paperback original; the true first. No hardcover edition precedes it. Not applicable to a Gold Medal PBO. Later Gold Medal printings are identified by a printing notation on the copyright page, and reissues under different Gold Medal numbers postdate the number-124 first.
• Murder for the Bride — 1951 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1951, issued as Gold Medal number 164; a first-printing copy carries no later-printing notation on the copyright page. Pictorial wrappers with cover art by Barye Phillips. Standalone title; among MacDonald's early paperback originals. Paperback original; the true first. The Gold Medal number 164 identifies the first printing; later Gold Medal reissues carry different serial numbers. Not applicable to a paperback original. Later printings are identified by a notation on the copyright page and by a changed Gold Medal serial number on the cover and spine.
• The Damned — 1952 · Gold Medal BooksTrue first is the paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #240 (1952), the printed price. Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Gold Medal logo and number; an early MacDonald PBO bestseller. First printing has the original price and no later-printing statement. Paperback is the true first. John D. MacDonald's early career was built on Gold Medal originals; nearly all his pre-1960 novels are paperback firsts. No book-club edition. First printing carries the printed price and no later-printing line; later Fawcett printings raise price/add printing data.
• Cancel All Our Vows — 1953 · Appleton-Century-CroftsAppleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1953. One of MacDonald's earliest hardcover novels and his first mainstream (non-crime) book. The first printing is identified by a terminal (1) at the foot of the last page of text. The US Appleton-Century-Crofts hardcover is the true first. Book-club printings typically lack the (1) point, show a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and carry no price on the jacket.
• The Neon Jungle — 1953 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original, 1953 (published August 1953), with the wraparound laminated cover. A first-printing copy carries no later-printing notation on the copyright page. Standalone (non-series) title. Paperback original; the true first. Not applicable to a PBO. Later printings are identified by a notation on the copyright page.
• The Executioners (filmed as Cape Fear) — 1958 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1958 hardcover, first printing (no later-printing notation). Bound in black boards with a pink cloth spine. Basis for the film Cape Fear. The first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. The US Simon & Schuster hardcover is the true first; the story was later reissued in paperback under the title Cape Fear. The book-club edition shows a blind-stamped dot on the rear board and a jacket with no printed price.
• A Purple Place for Dying — 1964 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original, May 1964. Travis McGee #3. First printing carries the Gold Medal serial number k1417 and a the printed price cover price, with no added dots or marks that denote a later printing. Paperback original; no earlier hardcover. The Gold Medal wraps edition is the true first. Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings and much later hardcover reprints exist; identify the first by the k1417 serial and unmarked printing line.
• Nightmare in Pink — 1964 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original (catalog number K1406), 1964, with cover art by Ron Lesser; Travis McGee number 2. A first-printing copy carries no later-printing notation on the copyright page and shows the original cover price with no price sticker or overprint. Paperback original; the true first. The first three McGee titles all appeared as Gold Medal PBOs in 1964, with no preceding hardcover. Not applicable to a PBO. Later Gold Medal printings are identified by a printing notation on the copyright page, an advanced catalog number, and in later reissues a Robert McGinnis cover replacing the Ron Lesser art.
• The Deep Blue Good-by — 1964 · Gold Medal BooksTrue first is the paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal k1405 (1964), the printed price. First Travis McGee novel. Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Gold Medal logo and catalog number k1405; first printing has the printed price and no later-printing statement. A key, sought first-in-series PBO. Paperback is the true first. The series was conceived and launched as paperback originals; later hardcover collected editions are first-thus only. No book-club edition. First Gold Medal k1405 printing has the original the printed price; later printings raise price and add printing data.
• The Quick Red Fox — 1964 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original, September 1964, Travis McGee #4. Published by Fawcett Gold Medal, Greenwich, Connecticut, and identified by the Gold Medal catalog number k1464 printed on the spine and front cover; the first printing carries the printed cover printed price and shows no statement of a later printing. Issued in pictorial wraps with cover art; there is no dust jacket, as with all Gold Medal wraps…. A paperback original with no earlier hardcover; the Gold Medal wraps issue (k1464) is the true first. British hardcover appearances under the Robert Hale imprint came later and do not precede it. Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings retain or renumber the Gold Medal designation and often show a higher price or a printing statement; the first is the k1464 wraps issue at the printed price with no later-printing notice.
• A Deadly Shade of Gold — 1965 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original, 1965, Travis McGee #5 and a double-length entry in the series. The first printing appears in pictorial wraps carrying the Gold Medal serial number d1499 on the cover and spine, with the page edges tinted yellow. The cover art shows the girl by Ron Lesser and McGee rendered by John McDermott. As a Gold Medal original there is no printer's number line; identify the first printing by…. Paperback original; the US Gold Medal wraps edition precedes all others. A UK Robert Hale hardcover followed in 1967 and the first US hardcover, from J.B. Lippincott, not until 1974 (some Lippincott copies carry a '175' code at the head of the front jacket flap, with no established priority between coded and uncoded). UK Hale hardcover (1967) and the later US Lippincott hardcover (1974) are reprints, not the first. Identify the true first by the d1499 Gold Medal serial and yellow-tinted page edges.
• Bright Orange for the Shroud — 1965 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original, 1965, catalog number d1573; the sixth Travis McGee novel, issued in pictorial wraps. The first printing is identified by the absence of a date code at the foot of the final page of text and by the printed price printed on the front cover; later printings carry a date code and a raised cover price. Paperback original; no earlier edition. The Gold Medal wraps issue (d1573, no date code, the printed price cover price) is the true first. Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings and reprints exist and are distinguished by a printed date code at the end of the text and a higher cover price; the first is the unmarked the printed price Gold Medal d1573 wraps issue.
• Darker Than Amber — 1966 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1966, Travis McGee number seven. The true first is the pictorial-wraps Gold Medal issue carrying the serial number d1674 on the front cover and spine, with no additional printing statement on the copyright page. As a Gold Medal original there is no number line; the first printing is identified by the d1674 serial together with the unmarked, un-repriced wraps. The cover art…. Paperback original; the Gold Medal wraps issue bearing serial d1674 is the true first, with no preceding hardcover. Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings carry different serial numbers and revised cover prices, and much later hardcover reprints exist; the first is the unmarked d1674 Gold Medal wraps issue.
• One Fearful Yellow Eye — 1966 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original, 1966, Fawcett Publications, Greenwich, Connecticut. Travis McGee #8. The first printing is identified by the Gold Medal serial number d1750 and the printed cover price, both intact on the front of the glossy yellow-and-white stiff-card pictorial wraps. The front cover art shows McGee and a woman on a massage bench against a Chicago cityscape (the novel departs from McGee's usual…. Paperback original; the Fawcett Gold Medal wraps edition is the true first, with no preceding hardcover. Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings exist; identify the first by the d1750 serial number and the original printed cover price on the front wrap. No book-club edition applies to a Gold Medal paperback original.
• Pale Gray for Guilt — 1968 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1968, first printing, carrying Gold Medal catalog number d1893 on the cover and spine. Travis McGee series number nine, printed in Greenwich, Connecticut. Pictorial wrappers, small octavo, 224 pages. The first printing shows the d1893 number and the Gold Medal cover price with no later-series advertisements in the rear. Issued only as a Gold Medal paperback original; the paperback bearing number d1893 is the true first edition, preceding any later hardbound reissue. No book-club edition applies. Later Fawcett printings are reset under different catalog numbers (for example the later Gold Medal T2136 and subsequent numbers) and are readily distinguished from the first-printing d1893.
• The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper — 1968 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1968, first printing, carrying Gold Medal catalog number T2023. Travis McGee series #10. The first printing is identified by no statement of later printings on the copyright page and no date code on the last page of text; the Gold Medal cover price is present. Later printings add a printing statement or a changed catalog number. Issued only as a Gold Medal paperback original; the paperback bearing catalog number T2023 with no later-printing statement is the true first edition, preceding any later hardbound reissue. No book-club edition applies. Later printings are distinguished by an added printing statement on the copyright page, a date code on the final text page, or a revised catalog number.
• Dress Her in Indigo — 1969 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1969, first printing, catalog number Gold Medal T2127; 253 pages. Travis McGee series #11. Cover art by Robert McGinnis. The first printing carries the Gold Medal cover price and shows no statement of a later printing on the final page. Issued only as a Gold Medal paperback original; the paperback is the true first edition, preceding any later hardbound reissue. No book-club edition applies. Later Gold Medal printings are distinguished by a printing statement on the last page or by a changed catalog number.
• The Long Lavender Look — 1970 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1970, first printing, carrying Gold Medal catalog number M2325. Travis McGee series #12. The first printing is identified by no statement of later printings on the copyright page and no date code on the last page of text; the Gold Medal cover price is present. Later printings add a printing statement or a changed catalog number. Issued only as a Gold Medal paperback original; the paperback bearing catalog number M2325 with no later-printing statement is the true first edition, preceding any later hardbound reissue. No book-club edition applies. Later printings are identifiable by an added printing statement on the copyright page, a date code on the final text page, or a revised catalog number.
• A Tan and Sandy Silence — 1971 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1971, first printing. Travis McGee series #13. The first printing has no advertisements in the rear; later printings add a page of ads for the Travis McGee titles. Issued only as a Gold Medal paperback original; the paperback is the true first edition, preceding any later hardbound reissue. No book-club edition applies. Later Gold Medal printings carry a rear ad page and revised printing statements or catalog numbers (a later printing appears as M2513).
• The Scarlet Ruse — 1973 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1973, first printing, catalog number P2744; Travis McGee series #14. The true first is the July 1973 printing: the copyright page carries a bare 'July 1973' with no additional printing statement, whereas later printings retain the same catalog number but show a September or October date. The cover reads '#14 - The New Travis McGee Novel' and bears the original Gold Medal…. Issued only as a Gold Medal paperback original; the paperback is the true first edition, preceding any later hardbound reissue. Confirm the July 1973 copyright date and catalog number P2744. No book-club edition applies. Later printings differ by the dated printing statement (September/October rather than July) and by updated rear advertising while keeping the P2744 catalog number.
• The Turquoise Lament — 1973 · J.B. LippincottJ.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1973. Travis McGee #15, and the first novel in the series to be published originally in hardcover (the earlier Lippincott McGee titles, beginning with Darker Than Amber in 1970, were hardcover reprints of Gold Medal paperback originals). First-printing dust jackets carry the code 1073 at the top of the front flap; most surviving first-printing jackets are price-clipped. The US Lippincott hardcover is the true first edition, as this title was issued in hardcover ahead of any paperback. Book-club editions are smaller, printed on cheaper bulked paper, carry a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and have no price on the jacket flap.
• The Dreadful Lemon Sky — 1974 · J.B. LippincottJ.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1974. Travis McGee #16. First printing has no number line on the copyright page and no printing code on the final page of text; the first-issue dust jacket carries its original price on the front flap and is unclipped. The US Lippincott hardcover is the true first edition. Book-club editions have no price on the jacket flap and carry a blind-stamped dot on the rear cover.
• Condominium — 1977 · J.B. LippincottFirst edition, J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1977, with the number line reading 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (ending in 1) on the copyright page. A major bestseller and a non-McGee disaster novel. The first-issue dust jacket has a pictorial spine with red and yellow lettering and should retain the original printed price on the front flap. A separate signed presentation issue of 975 copies was inscribed for the Patrons of…. The US Lippincott hardcover is the true first edition, confirmed by the number line ending in 1. This was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, so club copies are common; identify them by the blindstamp to the rear board and by a jacket that carries no printed price and no ISBN on the flap. Club copies are also reported in red cloth with gilt spine lettering.
• The Empty Copper Sea — 1978 · J.B. LippincottJ.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia and New York, 1978. Travis McGee #17. First printing is bound in quarter maroon boards over yellow paper with gilt spine lettering; the first-issue dust jacket carries its original front-flap price and is unclipped. The US Lippincott hardcover is the true first edition. Book-club editions lack the flap price and bear a blind-stamped dot on the rear board.
• The Green Ripper — 1979 · J.B. LippincottJ.B. Lippincott, New York, 1979 (ISBN 0397013620), Travis McGee #18 and winner of the 1980 National Book Award in the mystery category. First printing is confirmed by the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Binding is quarter cloth: a grey cloth spine over green paper-covered boards. First-issue dust jacket carries its original printed front-flap price and is unclipped on a true first-state example. The US Lippincott hardcover is the true first edition. Book-club editions lack the printed jacket price, carry a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and use lighter boards; confirm the trade binding, the priced jacket, and the number line ending in 1.
• Free Fall in Crimson — 1981 · Harper & RowHarper & Row, New York, 1981. Travis McGee #19; this title marks the series' move from Lippincott to Harper & Row. First printing is bound in quarter black cloth over red boards with gilt spine lettering; the first-issue jacket carries its original front-flap price and is unclipped. The US Harper & Row hardcover is the true first edition. Book-club editions lack the flap price and bear a blind-stamped dot on the rear board.
• Cinnamon Skin — 1982 · Harper & RowHarper & Row, New York, 1982. Travis McGee #20. First printing carries a complete number line 1 through 10 on the copyright page (first state ending in 1); the first-issue jacket carries its original front-flap price and is unclipped. The US Harper & Row hardcover is the true first edition. Book-club editions lack the flap price and carry a blind-stamped dot on the rear cover.
• The Lonely Silver Rain — 1985 · Alfred A. KnopfKnopf hardcover, New York 1985, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. the printed pricet and final Travis McGee novel; issued in dust jacket, red cloth boards with silver spine lettering. The US Knopf hardcover is the true first edition. Book-club editions lack the 'FIRST EDITION' statement and typically show no price on the jacket flap; the board and jacket construction are also cheaper.

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