# Is "Hawaii" by James A. Michener a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hawaii by James A. Michener (Random House, 1959) is identified by: True first is the New York: Random House, 1959 trade edition, bound in off-white/cream coarse cloth with the spine lettered in multiple colors and the remaining lettering in black; genealogical map endpapers, 937-plus pages. US Random House (New York) 1959 is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1960.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the New York: Random House, 1959 trade edition, bound in off-white/cream coarse cloth with the spine lettered in multiple colors and the remaining lettering in black; genealogical map endpapers, 937-plus pages
- Random House firsts of this era are identified by a 'First Printing' / 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page with NO later-printing designation; later printings add a printing count (copies reading 'First Edition, 16th Printing' etc. are reprints)
- A signed limited edition (issued simultaneously, numbered and signed at the colophon/limitation leaf, in slipcase) accompanies the trade issue and is identified by that limitation leaf; dealer counts of the limitation vary (400 vs 500) and are not settled
- Note: a widely repeated 'upside-down endpaper map' point could NOT be confirmed in any genuine dealer catalogue (it surfaced only in AI search summaries) and is treated as unverified/likely spurious
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James A. Michener |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the New York: Random House, 1959 trade edition, bound in off-white/cream coarse cloth with the spine lettered in multiple… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the New York: Random House, 1959 trade edition, bound in off-white/cream coarse cloth with the spine lettered in multiple colors and the remaining lettering in black; genealogical map endpapers, 937-plus pages. Random House firsts of this era are identified by a 'First Printing' / 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page with NO later-printing designation; later printings add a printing count (copies reading 'First Edition, 16th Printing' etc. are reprints). A signed limited edition (issued simultaneously, numbered and signed at the colophon/limitation leaf, in slipcase) accompanies the trade issue and is identified by that limitation leaf; dealer counts of the limitation vary (400 vs 500) and are not settled. Note: a widely repeated 'upside-down endpaper map' point could NOT be confirmed in any genuine dealer catalogue (it surfaced only in AI search summaries) and is treated as unverified/likely spurious.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House (New York) 1959 is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1960. The census precedence claim is correct.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club and other reprints exist; club copies typically lack the copyright-page 'First Printing' statement, may show a blind-stamp or dot on the rear board, and carry a jacket with no price at the flap. Later Random House printings are stated as such on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hawaii* by James A. Michener a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hawaii
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.