# Is "Going After Cacciato" by Tim O'Brien a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien (Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence, 1978) is identified by: 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; issued under the Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence imprint, New York, 1978. The US Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; issued under the Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence imprint, New York, 1978
- Light green cloth boards with the author's facsimile signature stamped in gilt at the foot of the front board; dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tim O'Brien |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; issued under the Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence imprint, New York, 1978 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; issued under the Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence imprint, New York, 1978. Light green cloth boards with the author's facsimile signature stamped in gilt at the foot of the front board; dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence hardcover is the true first. It won the National Book Award for Fiction announced in 1979 for the 1978 publication. The Jonathan Cape UK edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is smaller, has a blind stamp to the rear board, and its jacket lacks a printed price and is marked as a book-club issue on the flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Going After Cacciato* by Tim O'Brien a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/going-after-cacciato
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.