# Is "House of the Rising Sun" by James Lee Burke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke (Simon & Schuster, 2015) is identified by: The copyright page states First Edition together with a complete descending Simon & Schuster number line in the form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, the final 1 confirming the first printing. The US Simon & Schuster hardcover of December 2015 is the true first; it is a Hackberry Holland historical novel in the Holland family cycle.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The copyright page states First Edition together with a complete descending Simon & Schuster number line in the form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, the final 1 confirming the first printing
- The first-printing binding is distinctive: army-green paper-covered boards quarter-bound to a bright red cloth backstrip, with gilt lettering stamped on the spine
- The unclipped dust jacket carries the front-panel art, the author photograph and biography on the rear panel, and the printed price on the front flap should be present and intact
- Dealer-signed first printings are typically signed by Burke on the title page
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Lee Burke |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 2015 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The copyright page states First Edition together with a complete descending Simon &… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The copyright page states First Edition together with a complete descending Simon & Schuster number line in the form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, the final 1 confirming the first printing. The first-printing binding is distinctive: army-green paper-covered boards quarter-bound to a bright red cloth backstrip, with gilt lettering stamped on the spine. The unclipped dust jacket carries the front-panel art, the author photograph and biography on the rear panel, and the printed price on the front flap should be present and intact. Dealer-signed first printings are typically signed by Burke on the title page.

## Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster hardcover of December 2015 is the true first; it is a Hackberry Holland historical novel in the Holland family cycle. Signed first printings from booksellers were signed by the author on the title page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue; the stated First Edition and full number line ending in 1 over the green-boards-and-red-spine binding identify the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *House of the Rising Sun* by James Lee Burke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/house-of-the-rising-sun
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.