# Is "In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War" by Tobias Wolff a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War by Tobias Wolff (Alfred A. Knopf, 1994) is identified by: Octavo, 221 pp.; "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with the Knopf borzoi device and no later printing indicated; published October 4, 1994. The US Knopf 1994 edition is the true first (Wolff's second memoir).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Octavo, 221 pp.; "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with the Knopf borzoi device and no later printing indicated; published October 4, 1994
- ISBN 0-679-40217-9
- The dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tobias Wolff |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Octavo, 221 pp.; "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with the Knopf borzoi device and no later printing indicated; published… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Octavo, 221 pp.; "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with the Knopf borzoi device and no later printing indicated; published October 4, 1994. ISBN 0-679-40217-9. The dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf 1994 edition is the true first (Wolff's second memoir). The UK first edition is Bloomsbury, 1994 (ISBN 0-7475-1919-6), some copies of which carry the subtitle "Memories of a Lost War."

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Watch for book-club printings lacking the stated "First Edition" line and bearing a blind-stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War* by Tobias Wolff a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/in-pharaohs-army-memories-of-the-lost-war
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.