The points of issue
Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence hardcover, 1973, with a stated 'First printing' on the copyright page. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price. Later printings drop the 'First printing' statement.
Is this the true first?
This is O'Brien's first book (a memoir). The US Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence edition and the UK Calder & Boyars edition both appeared in 1973 and are generally treated as simultaneous; the US edition does not clearly precede the UK. The US Delacorte is the collected American first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue of note for the first; later printings drop the stated 'First printing.' The stated 'First printing' plus the printed-price jacket identifies the US first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Dispatches — deeper Vietnam: Tim O'Brien, If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home (memoir) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence hardcover, 1973, with a stated 'First printing' on the copyright page. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price. Later printings drop the 'First printing' statement.
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. This is O'Brien's first book (a memoir). The US Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence edition and the UK Calder & Boyars edition both appeared in 1973 and are generally treated as simultaneous; the US edition does not clearly precede the UK. The US Delacorte is the collected American first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue of note for the first; later printings drop the stated 'First printing.' The stated 'First printing' plus the printed-price jacket identifies the US first.
I have a first edition of Dispatches — deeper Vietnam: Tim O'Brien, If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home (memoir) — 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.