# Is "Battle of Angels" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Battle of Angels by Tennessee Williams (Pharos, 1945) is identified by: Issued as Pharos Numbers 1 and 2, a double number of the periodical devoted to Williams, Murray, Utah, 1945; printed grey wrappers with yapped (overhanging) edges. True first appearance in this form; the play was later reworked as Orpheus Descending.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued as Pharos Numbers 1 and 2, a double number of the periodical devoted to Williams, Murray, Utah, 1945; printed grey wrappers with yapped (overhanging) edges
- Williams's first separately published work and first book
- Includes a note by Margaret Webster and Williams's own account of the Boston production
- Publisher imprint reads Pharos
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | Pharos |
| Year | 1945 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued as Pharos Numbers 1 and 2, a double number of the periodical devoted to Williams… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Issued as Pharos Numbers 1 and 2, a double number of the periodical devoted to Williams, Murray, Utah, 1945; printed grey wrappers with yapped (overhanging) edges. Williams's first separately published work and first book. Includes a note by Margaret Webster and Williams's own account of the Boston production.

## Is this the true first?
True first appearance in this form; the play was later reworked as Orpheus Descending. The Pharos periodical double issue precedes any separate book form.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. This was the sole issue of Pharos; later reprints are clearly identifiable as later.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Battle of Angels* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/battle-of-angels
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.