The points of issue
Copyright page carries a full number line counting down to 1, identifying the first printing. ISBN 0-684-81363-7; brown boards with black cloth spine; first-issue jacket retains the printed price unclipped.
Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster edition is the true first, preceding the UK edition. Won the 2002 Pulitzer for Biography. McCullough's 'Truman' (Simon & Schuster, 1992) is a parallel collecting target.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club hardcover competes; the usual confusion is with later Simon & Schuster printings. The full number line counting down to 1 plus the unclipped printed-price jacket identify the first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of John Adams a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page carries a full number line counting down to 1, identifying the first printing. ISBN 0-684-81363-7; brown boards with black cloth spine; first-issue jacket retains the printed price unclipped.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Simon & Schuster edition is the true first, preceding the UK edition. Won the 2002 Pulitzer for Biography. McCullough's 'Truman' (Simon & Schuster, 1992) is a parallel collecting target.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No major book-club hardcover competes; the usual confusion is with later Simon & Schuster printings. The full number line counting down to 1 plus the unclipped printed-price jacket identify the first printing.
I have a first edition of John Adams — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.