# Is "Flying Saucers from Outer Space" by Donald E. Keyhoe a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Flying Saucers from Outer Space by Donald E. Keyhoe (Henry Holt, 1953) is identified by: First edition, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1953, an octavo of 276 pages. US true first (Henry Holt, New York, 1953).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1953, an octavo of 276 pages
- The first edition is bound in black cloth with the spine lettered in red and white, and states 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' with no later-printing statement on the copyright page
- Issued in a pictorial dust jacket carrying the printed price on the front flap (the price should be present, though a clipped jacket does not by itself rule out a first)
- One of the earliest and most influential accounts of the UFO phenomenon
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Donald E. Keyhoe |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1953 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1953, an octavo of 276 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1953, an octavo of 276 pages. The first edition is bound in black cloth with the spine lettered in red and white, and states 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Issued in a pictorial dust jacket carrying the printed price on the front flap (the price should be present, though a clipped jacket does not by itself rule out a first). One of the earliest and most influential accounts of the UFO phenomenon.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (Henry Holt, New York, 1953).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition; a book-club copy typically lacks the printed jacket price and may carry a blind-stamp to the rear board. Use the binding and copyright-page points above to be certain.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Flying Saucers from Outer Space* by Donald E. Keyhoe a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/flying-saucers-from-outer-space
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.