# Is "Kingsblood Royal" by Sinclair Lewis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kingsblood Royal by Sinclair Lewis (Random House, 1947) is identified by: First edition, Random House, New York, 1947, 348pp. US Random House 1947 is the true first and precedes the first UK edition (Jonathan Cape, London, 1948).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Random House, New York, 1947, 348pp
- The copyright page states 'First Printing,' which identifies the first-edition text
- Two forms were issued:
- the trade first in black cloth with gilt lettering and the author's gilt initials to the front cover, in a priced pictorial dust jacket; and
- a signed limited issue of 1,050 numbered copies, signed by Lewis, bound in red cloth with a black spine label and top-edge gilt, protected by a glassine/onionskin wrapper and issued in a plain slipcase WITHOUT dust jacket
- Note that BOTH the trade and the limited carry 'First Printing' on the copyright page, so they are distinguished by the limitation leaf and binding, not by the printing statement alone
- Publisher imprint reads Random House

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sinclair Lewis |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1947 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Random House, New York, 1947, 348pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Random House, New York, 1947, 348pp. The copyright page states 'First Printing,' which identifies the first-edition text. Two forms were issued: (1) the trade first in black cloth with gilt lettering and the author's gilt initials to the front cover, in a priced pictorial dust jacket; and (2) a signed limited issue of 1,050 numbered copies, signed by Lewis, bound in red cloth with a black spine label and top-edge gilt, protected by a glassine/onionskin wrapper and issued in a plain slipcase WITHOUT dust jacket. Note that BOTH the trade and the limited carry 'First Printing' on the copyright page, so they are distinguished by the limitation leaf and binding, not by the printing statement alone. Reference: Pastore 65.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House 1947 is the true first and precedes the first UK edition (Jonathan Cape, London, 1948). The signed limited of 1,050 was published simultaneously with the trade first rather than ahead of it; neither has clear textual precedence over the other.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Random House book-club edition exists and is common. Tells: a blindstamp (small deboss) on the lower rear board near the spine, 'Book Club Edition' printed on the lower front dust-jacket flap with no price present, thinner/cheaper bulk, and frequently no top-edge staining. The book-club jacket lacks the price found on the trade jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kingsblood Royal* by Sinclair Lewis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kingsblood-royal
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.