# Is "Gandhi's Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence" by Erik H. Erikson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Gandhi's Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence by Erik H. Erikson (W. W. Norton, 1969) is identified by: First American edition, W. US W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, W. W. Norton (New York), 1969, roughly 474 pages with Notes and Index at the rear
- Bound in black cloth boards with the spine lettered in gilt
- The first printing carries a complete descending number line on the copyright page that still includes the 1
- The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed flap price (present, not clipped)
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erik H. Erikson |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, W. W. Norton (New York), 1969, roughly 474 pages with Notes and Index at the rear |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American edition, W. W. Norton (New York), 1969, roughly 474 pages with Notes and Index at the rear. Bound in black cloth boards with the spine lettered in gilt. The first printing carries a complete descending number line on the copyright page that still includes the 1. The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed flap price (present, not clipped).

## Is this the true first?
US W. W. Norton (New York) is the true first. The book went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and the National Book Award in the Philosophy and Religion category in 1970. Dealers describe the trade first edition by the intact number line ending in 1 on the copyright page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later printings break the number line by dropping the 1; club copies typically also lack the printed jacket price and may show a blind-stamped mark on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Gandhi's Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence* by Erik H. Erikson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/gandhis-truth-on-the-origins-of-militant-nonviolence
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.