Is My Copy of Clear and Present Danger a First Edition?

The points of issue

• G.P. Putnam's Sons first printing, 1989, with a full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page
• Bound in grey paper-covered boards with a black cloth spine, 656 pages
• The first-issue dust jacket exists in two states both considered first, a copper/bronze version and a silver version, with the printed cover price present and the jacket unclipped; the coated jacket surface is prone to edge de-lamination, so a clean example is scarce

How G.P. Putnam's Sons marked a first edition

• US, 1960–mid-1980s: first editions remain UNSTATED. Every printing after the first carries the words 'Second impression' (or 'Third impression,' etc.) on the copyright page; a copyright page with no 'impression'…

Full G.P. Putnam's Sons first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The US Putnam edition of 1989 is the true first. The UK Collins edition also appeared in 1989 but follows the US printing.P-031362

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The book club edition lacks the printed jacket price, may state Book Club Edition on the jacket, and typically shows a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board; it is also physically smaller and lighter than the Putnam trade first.P-031363

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Clear and Present Danger a first edition?

A first edition of Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy (G.P. Putnam's Sons) is identified by: G.P. Putnam's Sons first printing, 1989, with a full number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). The US Putnam edition of 1989 is the true first.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

The book club edition lacks the printed jacket price, may state Book Club Edition on the jacket, and typically shows a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board; it is also physically smaller and lighter than the Putnam trade first.

I have a first edition of Clear and Present Danger — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.