# Is "Irons in the Fire" by John McPhee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Irons in the Fire by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1997) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1997, first printing; collection of seven essays. US true first (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1997).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1997, first printing; collection of seven essays
- Bound in beige (tan) paper-covered boards with black lettering to the spine, issued in a pictorial dust jacket
- The copyright page carries no later-printing statement; second printings are so designated
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John McPhee |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1997, first printing; collection of seven essays |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1997, first printing; collection of seven essays. Bound in beige (tan) paper-covered boards with black lettering to the spine, issued in a pictorial dust jacket. The copyright page carries no later-printing statement; second printings are so designated.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1997).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No known book-club edition; the trade paperback (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998) is a later, distinct issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Irons in the Fire* by John McPhee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/irons-in-the-fire
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.