The points of issue
Single thick volume, cloth-backed boards, illustrated, in a priced first-state dust jacket. The Norton first printing carries its first-printing indicia on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
US Norton (New York) is the true first, 1971. Awarded the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the 1972 National Book Award in Biography.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues lack the priced jacket and are typically thinner-feeling with blind-stamped boards. Confirm the publisher's first-printing indicia on the copyright page rather than relying on the jacket alone.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Eleanor and Franklin a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Single thick volume, cloth-backed boards, illustrated, in a priced first-state dust jacket. The Norton first printing carries its first-printing indicia on the copyright page.
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. US Norton (New York) is the true first, 1971. Awarded the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the 1972 National Book Award in Biography.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club issues lack the priced jacket and are typically thinner-feeling with blind-stamped boards. Confirm the publisher's first-printing indicia on the copyright page rather than relying on the jacket alone.
I have a first edition of Eleanor and Franklin — 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.