# Is "Don't Stop the Carnival" by Herman Wouk a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Don't Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk (Doubleday & Company, 1965) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page. US Doubleday edition is the true first; the UK edition followed from Collins in 1965.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page
- Published by Doubleday at Garden City, and issued in tan and russet cloth-covered boards with the title stamped in gilt on the spine, illustrated map endpapers, and a pictorial dust jacket
- The jacket painting is by Janet Gasson and the design by Owen Scott; the jacket should bear its original printed price on the front flap
- A key point is the absence of any blind-stamped indentation in the lower corner of the rear board, which distinguishes the trade first from the Doubleday book-club issue
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Herman Wouk |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page. Published by Doubleday at Garden City, and issued in tan and russet cloth-covered boards with the title stamped in gilt on the spine, illustrated map endpapers, and a pictorial dust jacket. The jacket painting is by Janet Gasson and the design by Owen Scott; the jacket should bear its original printed price on the front flap. A key point is the absence of any blind-stamped indentation in the lower corner of the rear board, which distinguishes the trade first from the Doubleday book-club issue.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday edition is the true first; the UK edition followed from Collins in 1965.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are common. Doubleday book-club copies lack the price on the jacket and show a blind-stamped dot or indentation in the lower corner of the rear board; the trade first has no such mark.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Don't Stop the Carnival* by Herman Wouk a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dont-stop-the-carnival
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.