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First-Edition Identification · Jack Kerouac

Is My Desolation Angels a First Edition?

Coward-McCann, 1965

The points of issue

First US edition, cloth in dust jacket, with an introduction by Seymour Krim. First printing identified by the copyright page; first-issue jacket with original price.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · Coward-McCann first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

Coward-McCann US (1965) is the true first; André Deutsch issued the UK edition. Verify the first-printing copyright page and price-present jacket.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Distinguish from later printings via copyright-page statements; price-present jacket required for a true first in jacket.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Desolation Angels a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: First US edition, cloth in dust jacket, with an introduction by Seymour Krim. First printing identified by the copyright page; first-issue jacket with original price.

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

Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Coward-McCann US (1965) is the true first; André Deutsch issued the UK edition. Verify the first-printing copyright page and price-present jacket.

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

Distinguish from later printings via copyright-page statements; price-present jacket required for a true first in jacket.

I have a first edition of Desolation Angels — what should I do?

If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.

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