# Is "Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" by William Kennedy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Billy Phelan's Greatest Game by William Kennedy (Viking Press, 1978) is identified by: First printing from The Viking Press, New York, 1978; grey cloth with silver spine lettering; 282 pp.; dust jacket priced on the front flap, with the Viking first-printing copyright statement. The US Viking 1978 edition is the true first; the UK first follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing from The Viking Press, New York, 1978; grey cloth with silver spine lettering
- 282 pp.; dust jacket priced on the front flap, with the Viking first-printing copyright statement
- Second Albany-cycle novel
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Kennedy |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing from The Viking Press, New York, 1978; grey cloth with silver spine lettering |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing from The Viking Press, New York, 1978; grey cloth with silver spine lettering; 282 pp.; dust jacket priced on the front flap, with the Viking first-printing copyright statement. Second Albany-cycle novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking 1978 edition is the true first; the UK first follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the printed jacket flap price, are on lighter boards, and do not carry Viking's first-printing copyright statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Billy Phelan's Greatest Game* by William Kennedy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/billy-phelans-greatest-game
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.