# Is "Gettysburg" by MacKinlay Kantor a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Gettysburg by MacKinlay Kantor (Random House, 1952) is identified by: First edition in the Landmark Books series, number 23, illustrated by Donald McKay. US first edition, Random House Landmark Books, New York, 1952.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition in the Landmark Books series, number 23, illustrated by Donald McKay
- On the true first the dust jacket back panel lists no Landmark title numbered higher than this volume, and the copyright page carries no later printing notice
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | MacKinlay Kantor |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1952 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition in the Landmark Books series, number 23, illustrated by Donald McKay |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition in the Landmark Books series, number 23, illustrated by Donald McKay. On the true first the dust jacket back panel lists no Landmark title numbered higher than this volume, and the copyright page carries no later printing notice.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition, Random House Landmark Books, New York, 1952.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Random House printings and the World Landmark reprint line are distinguished by higher-numbered titles listed on the jacket and by later imprint statements.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Gettysburg* by MacKinlay Kantor a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/gettysburg
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.