# Is "Guard of Honor" by James Gould Cozzens a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Guard of Honor by James Gould Cozzens (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1948) is identified by: First edition has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Harcourt's 1940s practice; the statement is removed on later printings, no number line in this era). US Harcourt, Brace 1948 true first; the 1949 Pulitzer winner.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Harcourt's 1940s practice; the statement is removed on later printings, no number line in this era)
- Binding is grey cloth stamped in dark blue at the spine; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and is unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Gould Cozzens |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Company |
| Year | 1948 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Harcourt's 1940s practice; the statement is removed on later printings, no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Harcourt's 1940s practice; the statement is removed on later printings, no number line in this era). Binding is grey cloth stamped in dark blue at the spine; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and is unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt, Brace 1948 true first; the 1949 Pulitzer winner. The point is the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings remove the 'First Edition' statement. Reprints and book-club copies are marked accordingly.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Guard of Honor* by James Gould Cozzens a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/guard-of-honor
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.