# Is "End Zone" by Don DeLillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of End Zone by Don DeLillo (Houghton Mifflin, 1972) is identified by: Copyright page reads "First Printing" followed by a code letter ("First Printing C"); black cloth boards lettered in silver on spine and front board; dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap. US Houghton Mifflin is the true first; the UK Andre Deutsch edition (1973) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page reads "First Printing" followed by a code letter ("First Printing C"); black cloth boards lettered in silver on spine and front board; dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap
- Author's second novel
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Don DeLillo |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page reads "First Printing" followed by a code letter ("First Printing C"); black cloth boards lettered in silver on spine and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Copyright page reads "First Printing" followed by a code letter ("First Printing C"); black cloth boards lettered in silver on spine and front board; dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap. Author's second novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin is the true first; the UK Andre Deutsch edition (1973) follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints omit the stated "First Printing" line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *End Zone* by Don DeLillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/end-zone
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.