# Is "Herzog" by Saul Bellow a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Herzog by Saul Bellow (The Viking Press, 1964) is identified by: First edition, first printing: published by The Viking Press, New York, 1964. US Viking is the true first; UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1965) is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: published by The Viking Press, New York, 1964
- The true first is an UNSTATED first edition: the copyright page reads "First published in 1964" with NO printing statement and no later-printing notice (later printings ARE stated)
- The claim's "copyright-page first-printing statement" is incorrect and inverted — there is no stated first-printing line; identification is by the absence of a printing statement plus "First published in 1964." First-issue dust jacket has Saul Bellow's photograph on the rear panel and is with its printed price on the front flap (later-issue jackets carry review blurbs); jacket designed by Mel Williamson
- Blue cloth boards, silver spine lettering
- Bound/printed as [viii], 341, [3] pp
- The premium state is a fine first printing in a fine, unclipped first-issue (the printed price) jacket (and, if present, an authentic Bellow signature) — NOT a separate limited edition
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Saul Bellow |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: published by The Viking Press, New York, 1964 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: published by The Viking Press, New York, 1964. The true first is an UNSTATED first edition: the copyright page reads "First published in 1964" with NO printing statement and no later-printing notice (later printings ARE stated). The claim's "copyright-page first-printing statement" is incorrect and inverted — there is no stated first-printing line; identification is by the absence of a printing statement plus "First published in 1964." First-issue dust jacket has Saul Bellow's photograph on the rear panel and is with its printed price on the front flap (later-issue jackets carry review blurbs); jacket designed by Mel Williamson. Blue cloth boards, silver spine lettering. Bound/printed as [viii], 341, [3] pp. The premium state is a fine first printing in a fine, unclipped first-issue (the printed price) jacket (and, if present, an authentic Bellow signature) — NOT a separate limited edition. National Book Award (1965) winner: correct. US Viking 1964 is the true first; UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1965 is later: correct.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking is the true first; UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1965) is later. The signed limited is the premium state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition carries a blind-stamp and bulkier paper and lacks the first-printing copyright line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Herzog* by Saul Bellow a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/herzog
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.