# Is "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (Villard, 1997) is identified by: First edition, first printing: Villard, 1997, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated and the full number line '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (some copies). US Villard 1997 is the true first, preceding the UK Macmillan edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: Villard, 1997, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated and the full number line '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (some copies)
- The notable point: the first printing contained an error — it misidentified/misattributed certain details corrected in later printings (the first state also has the original postscript before Krakauer's later additions)
- First-issue dust jacket priced (the printed price)
- Publisher imprint reads Villard
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jon Krakauer |
| Publisher | Villard |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: Villard, 1997, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated and the full number line '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (some copies) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: Villard, 1997, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated and the full number line '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' (some copies). The notable point: the first printing contained an error — it misidentified/misattributed certain details corrected in later printings (the first state also has the original postscript before Krakauer's later additions). First-issue dust jacket priced (the printed price).

## Is this the true first?
US Villard 1997 is the true first, preceding the UK Macmillan edition. The first printing precedes Krakauer's added postscript responding to Anatoli Boukreev's account (added in later printings/editions), making the true first textually distinct. Verify 'FIRST EDITION' and the number line.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the full number line and 'FIRST EDITION' statement, are on thinner paper, and carry unpriced jackets. Later printings add the postscript and reader's-guide material absent from the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Into Thin Air* by Jon Krakauer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/into-thin-air
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.