# Is "Independence Day" by Richard Ford a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Independence Day by Richard Ford (Alfred A. Knopf, 1995) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Edition' with the Knopf colophon. US Knopf 1995 is the true first; the UK Harvill edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' with the Knopf colophon
- The first-printing text point is the omission of the word 'with' in line 21 of page 289 (corrected in later printings)
- Navy quarter cloth over orange/light-brown boards, gilt spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries its printed flap price unclipped and bears no award stickers/text
- Frank Bascombe #2 — won both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Ford |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Edition' with the Knopf colophon |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' with the Knopf colophon. The first-printing text point is the omission of the word 'with' in line 21 of page 289 (corrected in later printings). Navy quarter cloth over orange/light-brown boards, gilt spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries its printed flap price unclipped and bears no award stickers/text. Frank Bascombe #2 — won both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1995 is the true first; the UK Harvill edition follows. A signed limited edition was also issued.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the 'First Edition' statement, are typically smaller with a blind-stamped rear board and a price-less jacket; later printings correct the page-289 text and may add award mentions to the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Independence Day* by Richard Ford a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/independence-day
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.