# Is "Bread Upon the Waters" by Irwin Shaw a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bread Upon the Waters by Irwin Shaw (Delacorte Press, 1981) is identified by: The first trade printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed. US Delacorte trade edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first trade printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed
- The specific claim of a number line ending in 1 could not be confirmed and has been removed; verify the stated First printing line on the copyright page instead
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Irwin Shaw |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first trade printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first trade printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed. The specific claim of a number line ending in 1 could not be confirmed and has been removed; verify the stated First printing line on the copyright page instead.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte trade edition is the true first. The UK first followed from Weidenfeld and Nicolson in 1981. A separate Franklin Library leather-bound edition and a signed limited edition were also issued in 1981; do not confuse these with the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club printings exist alongside the Franklin Library issue; book club copies lack the First printing statement and are typically identified by a blind-stamped mark on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bread Upon the Waters* by Irwin Shaw a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bread-upon-the-waters
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.