# Is "Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families" by J. Anthony Lukas a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families by J. Anthony Lukas (Alfred A. Knopf, 1985) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Edition' per the Knopf convention, with no later-printing line. The US Knopf edition, published August 1985, is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' per the Knopf convention, with no later-printing line
- Thick octavo, ISBN 0-394-41244-3
- the first-issue jacket carries its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J. Anthony Lukas |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Edition' per the Knopf convention, with no later-printing line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' per the Knopf convention, with no later-printing line. Thick octavo, ISBN 0-394-41244-3 (9780394411507); the first-issue jacket carries its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf edition, published August 1985, is the true first. The book won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club copies lack the jacket price, bear a rear-board blindstamp, and omit the 'First Edition' statement. The stated 'First Edition' plus the printed-price Knopf jacket identify the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families* by J. Anthony Lukas a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/common-ground-a-turbulent-decade-in-the-lives-of-three-ameri
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.