The points of issue
First printing has a complete number line on the copyright page descending to 1. Issued in cloth-backed boards with a price-bearing first-state dust jacket. First of a multi-volume biography.
Is this the true first?
US Viking (New York), 1992, is the true first edition of Volume One.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Second and later printings state the printing on the copyright page; confirm the number line ends in 1. Each volume of the multi-volume set is a separate first edition with its own year.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol. 1, 1884-1933 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has a complete number line on the copyright page descending to 1. Issued in cloth-backed boards with a price-bearing first-state dust jacket. First of a multi-volume biography.
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 Viking (New York), 1992, is the true first edition of Volume One.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Second and later printings state the printing on the copyright page; confirm the number line ends in 1. Each volume of the multi-volume set is a separate first edition with its own year.
I have a first edition of Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol. 1, 1884-1933 — 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.