# Is "Flight to Canada" by Ishmael Reed a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Flight to Canada by Ishmael Reed (Random House, 1976) is identified by: Random House, New York, 1976, first printing. True first is the 1976 Random House hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House, New York, 1976, first printing
- Quarter-bound: cloth spine over paper-covered boards
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' with the lowest figure of the number line retained on the first printing
- Dust jacket designed by Mike Stromberg; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Collation runs to 179 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ishmael Reed |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House, New York, 1976, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House, New York, 1976, first printing. Quarter-bound: cloth spine over paper-covered boards. The copyright page states 'First Edition' with the lowest figure of the number line retained on the first printing. Dust jacket designed by Mike Stromberg; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. Collation runs to 179 pages.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1976 Random House hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the printed-price jacket and usually carry a rear-board blind-stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Flight to Canada* by Ishmael Reed a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/flight-to-canada
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.