Robert Ludlum First Editions

• The Scarlatti Inheritance — 1971 · The World Publishing Company'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, 358 pages, red boards. Issued in a fragile clear acetate dust jacket with a printed front-flap price; first printings retain the acetate, which is easily lost or damaged. US World Publishing is the true first; Ludlum's debut novel. The intact acetate wrapper is a desirable point. A 'First Edition' with a later-printing line stated is not the first impression, so verify no added printing statement. The book-club edition shows a blind-stamp or square punch mark at the lower rear board, lacks the acetate, and uses cheaper boards. The stated 'First Edition' with original acetate and no rear-board punch confirms the true first.
• The Osterman Weekend — 1972 · World Publishing CompanyThe World Publishing Company first edition states 'First Printing—1972' on the copyright page (not the phrase 'First Edition'). Issued in blue leatherette-style boards with the top edge stained blue, under a printed glassine/acetate dust wrapper rendered in white and red; the first-issue wrapper carries the printed price on the upper front flap and the publisher's code A3918 on the lower rear panel. Ludlum's…. The US World Publishing Company first edition (New York, 1972) precedes the UK edition. Book club editions lack the 'First Printing—1972' statement, typically show a blindstamp on the rear board, and carry an acetate wrapper without the printed price on the flap.
• The Matlock Paper — 1973 · Dial PressTrue first is the US Dial Press printing with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page (Dial in this era noted the printing by statement, not a number line). Dust jacket unclipped at the original price. Later printings are so noted on the copyright page. US Dial Press edition is the true first. A UK edition (Hart-Davis) followed and is not the first. Book-club copies lack the 'First Printing' statement, are typically smaller and lighter with a blindstamp on the rear board and a jacket with no price; they are not the first.
• The Rhinemann Exchange — 1974 · Dial PressTrue first is the US Dial Press printing with 'First Printing, 1974' stated on the copyright page (a statement, not a number line). Black cloth stamped in red on the spine; jacket unclipped at the original price. Later printings are noted on the copyright page. US Dial Press edition is the true first. Book-club copies lack the 'First Printing' statement and carry a blindstamp on the rear board with an unpriced jacket; they are not the first.
• The Gemini Contenders — 1976 · Dial PressTrue first is the US Dial Press printing with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page (a statement, not a number line); jacket unclipped at the original price. Later printings are noted on the copyright page. US Dial Press edition is the true first. Book-club copies lack the 'First Printing' statement and carry a blindstamp with an unpriced jacket; they are not the first.
• The Chancellor Manuscript — 1977 · Dial PressTrue first is the US Dial Press printing with first-edition/first-printing stated on the copyright page (a statement, not a number line). Mustard boards with a gilt-decorated spine; jacket unclipped at the original price. Later printings are noted on the copyright page. US Dial Press edition is the true first. Book-club copies lack the 'First Printing' statement and carry a blindstamp with an unpriced jacket; they are not the first.
• The Holcroft Covenant — 1978 · Richard Marek PublishersRichard Marek firsts do not use a number line. The true first is identified by a stated first printing on the copyright page with no mention of later printings, plus a printing date code on the front dust-jacket flap, and the correct price printed on the jacket. US Richard Marek first, New York. Book club editions lack the stated first-printing and date code, are typically smaller with cheaper boards, and often carry a blindstamp to the rear board.
• The Matarese Circle — 1979 · Richard Marek PublishersRichard Marek firsts do not use a number line. The true first shows a stated first printing on the copyright page with no later-printing notice, a printing date code on the front dust-jacket flap, and the correct jacket price. US Richard Marek first, New York. Book club editions lack the stated first-printing and date code, are typically smaller with cheaper boards, and often bear a blindstamp to the rear board.
• The Bourne Identity — 1980 · Richard Marek PublishersRichard Marek Publishers (New York), 1980. The true first printing is identified by the copyright statement alone, not a number line: the copyright page reads 'Copyright 1980 by Robert Ludlum' at the top and 'Printed in the United States of America' at the foot, with no statement of additional printings; SBN 399-90070-5. Bound in black cloth with the spine lettered in gilt. The first-state dust jacket carries its…. US Richard Marek (1980) is the true first, preceding the UK editions. Confirm the first by the copyright statement with no added-printing notice, not by a number line, as this title was not identified by a printer's key. The Book Club Edition has a blind stamp on the rear board, a reduced trim size, and a jacket lacking the printed price and the '8003' code; it carries no printing statement that would confirm a trade first.
• The Parsifal Mosaic — 1982 · Random HouseRandom House, New York, 1982, states 'First Edition' on the copyright page accompanied by a number line ending in 2 (Random House's usual designation of a first printing). A volume of 630 pages bound in black cloth-covered boards with the spine lettered in gilt, in a black first-issue dust jacket with gold and blue lettering and a photograph of Ludlum on the rear panel; the jacket should retain its printed…. US Random House first edition, New York (ISBN 0394521110). Book club editions omit the 'First Edition' statement and number line, are printed on lighter bulk with a blind stamp (small square or dot) to the rear board, and typically carry a jacket without a printed price.
• The Aquitaine Progression — 1984 · Random HouseRandom House states 'First Edition' on the copyright page beneath a number line ending in 2 (for example 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2); the words 'First Edition' were removed for the second printing, so their presence together with the terminal 2 confirms the first printing. Issued in cloth over boards with a gilt-stamped spine. The first-issue dust jacket carries art by Paul Bacon and the printed price on the front flap,…. US Random House first, New York, published February 1984. Book club editions omit the 'First Edition' statement and number line, are typically smaller and lighter, and carry a blindstamp (small square or dot) to the lower rear board; their jackets bear no printed price.
• The Bourne Supremacy — 1986 · Random HouseRandom House states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a number line ending in 2 (for example 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2). Issued in cloth over boards, gilt-stamped spine, in a first-issue dust jacket bearing the printed price on the front flap, which should be present (unclipped). US Random House trade first, New York, 1986. Book club editions omit the 'First Edition' statement and number line and are typically smaller with a blindstamp to the rear board; their jackets carry no printed price. A Franklin Library issue also exists as a separate simultaneous variant: signed, bound in full gilt-accented leather with gilt edges and issued without a dust jacket, and it includes a special author's introduction not in the trade edition. It….
• The Icarus Agenda — 1988 · Random HouseRandom House states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a number line ending in 2 (for example 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2). Bound in dark blue cloth, gilt-lettered on the spine, with the author's name blindstamped on the front board; a large octavo of 677 pages. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, which should be present (unclipped). US Random House first, New York, 1988. Book club editions omit the 'First Edition' statement and number line and are typically smaller with a blindstamp to the rear board; their jackets carry no printed price.
• The Bourne Ultimatum — 1990 · Random HouseRandom House states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a number line running from 2 (the 1 is expressed by the 'First Edition' statement, per Random House convention of the period). The binding is a black cloth spine over blue boards with the spine lettered in gilt. The first-issue dust jacket, with jacket design by Paul Bacon and illustration by Russell Farrell, carries its printed price on the front…. US Random House hardcover is the true first. Book club editions are typically smaller, lack the printed jacket price, carry a blindstamp to the rear board, and do not state 'First Edition' with the number line.
• The Road to Omaha — 1992 · Random HouseRandom House states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a descending number line; 487 pages. Bound with a black cloth spine over blue paper-covered boards, the author's name blind-stamped on the front board. The first-state dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap and should be unclipped to present as issued, though a clipped jacket does not by itself disqualify a first printing. US Random House hardcover (ISBN 0-394-57329-3) is the true first, 1992. Book club editions lack the printed jacket price and the 'First Edition' statement, are printed on lighter bulking paper, and typically carry a rear-board blindstamp on the lower corner.
• The Scorpio Illusion — 1993 · Bantam BooksBantam states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a full descending number line ending in 1 (form 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). Bound in quarter black cloth over black paper-covered boards, with the spine lettered in red. The first-issue dust jacket retains its printed price on the front flap (present, unclipped). US Bantam Books hardcover is the true first. Book club editions lack the printed jacket price and the full descending number line, are noticeably lighter, and typically carry a rear-board blindstamp.
• The Apocalypse Watch — 1995 · Bantam BooksThe first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carries the full descending number line ending in 1 (0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) beneath it. Issued in black boards with silver spine lettering. The first-issue dust jacket must retain the printed price on the front flap, unclipped, and carries the ISBN 0-553-09993-0. The US Bantam Books hardcover (New York, 1995) is the true first, preceding the trade paperback and later mass-market printings. Book club editions lack the printed jacket price and the full number line, are typically smaller and lighter, and carry a blindstamped code (dot, square, or circle) on the rear board.
• The Hades Factor — 2000 · St. Martin's PressSt. Martin's states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Written with Gayle Lynds; the first Covert-One novel. US St. Martin's Press hardcover is the true first. A St. Martin's Griffin paperback also exists but is not the first edition. Later printings and reprints show a shortened number line no longer ending in 1.
• The Prometheus Deception — 2000 · St. Martin's PressThe first US edition is the St. Martin's Press hardcover of 2000, stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a full number line descending to 1. Roughly 509 pages, octavo. The first-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap; a price-clipped flap does not by itself demote a first printing, but on an unclipped copy the printed price should be present. Later printings and…. The US St. Martin's Press hardcover is the true first. This was the last of Ludlum's novels published in his lifetime; he died in March 2001, so the 2000 St. Martin's first printing is the earliest state of a work issued shortly before the author's death. Later printings show a shortened number line no longer ending in 1. Book-club editions are distinguished by their smaller trim, a rear-board blind stamp, and a dust jacket lacking the printed price found on the trade first.
• The Sigma Protocol — 2001 · St. Martin's PressSt. Martin's Press, New York, 2001, with a complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page (St. Martin's designates a first printing solely by the full number line to 1, without a separate 'First Edition' slug). A hardcover of 535 pages bound in black boards with the spine lettered in gilt, in a priced first-state dust jacket that should retain its printed price (ISBN 0312276885). US St. Martin's Press first edition, October 2001. Published a few months after Ludlum's death in March 2001; it was the last novel released under his name during that period. Book club and later reprint copies lack the full number line ending in 1 and often show a book-club blind stamp on the rear board with a jacket bearing no printed price.

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