# Is "Giles Goat-Boy" by John Barth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Giles Goat-Boy by John Barth (Doubleday, 1966) is identified by: Full title 'Giles Goat-Boy: Or, The Revised New Syllabus.' The first trade printing does NOT carry a 'First Edition' statement (the record's claim that it is stated is incorrect); Doubleday departed from its usual convention, and the first printing is identified by the gutter code (reported as H18 or H32) on the final text page. A signed, numbered limited edition (Doubleday, 250 copies, issued in a slipcase without a dust jacket) preceded the trade issue and is the most desirable state.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Full title 'Giles Goat-Boy: Or, The Revised New Syllabus.' The first trade printing does NOT carry a 'First Edition' statement (the record's claim that it is stated is incorrect)
- Doubleday departed from its usual convention, and the first printing is identified by the gutter code (reported as H18 or H32) on the final text page
- Publisher's cloth; first-issue jacket carries the printed price 6.95 at the top of the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Barth |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Full title 'Giles Goat-Boy: Or, The Revised New Syllabus.' The first trade printing does NOT carry a 'First Edition' statement (the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Full title 'Giles Goat-Boy: Or, The Revised New Syllabus.' The first trade printing does NOT carry a 'First Edition' statement (the record's claim that it is stated is incorrect); Doubleday departed from its usual convention, and the first printing is identified by the gutter code (reported as H18 or H32) on the final text page. Publisher's cloth; first-issue jacket carries the printed price 6.95 at the top of the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
A signed, numbered limited edition (Doubleday, 250 copies, issued in a slipcase without a dust jacket) preceded the trade issue and is the most desirable state. UK: Secker & Warburg, 1967.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A large book-club printing exists. Because the true first trade issue also lacks a 'First Edition' line, do NOT use that absence to identify a book club; instead distinguish the trade first by the gutter code and priced jacket, versus the lighter, blind-stamped, unpriced book-club copies.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Giles Goat-Boy* by John Barth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/giles-goat-boy
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.