# Is "Little Big Man" by Thomas Berger a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Little Big Man by Thomas Berger (The Dial Press, 1964) is identified by: The Dial Press, New York, 1964, the basis for the 1970 Arthur Penn and Dustin Hoffman film. The US Dial first is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Dial Press, New York, 1964, the basis for the 1970 Arthur Penn and Dustin Hoffman film
- The first printing carries the 1964 date with no later-printing statement on the copyright page, is bound in black cloth-backed patterned brown paper boards with map endpapers, and has a first-state dust jacket carrying its printed price
- Identify by the 1964 Dial imprint, the absence of any later-printing notice, and the priced jacket
- Publisher imprint reads The Dial Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas Berger |
| Publisher | The Dial Press |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Dial Press, New York, 1964, the basis for the 1970 Arthur Penn and Dustin Hoffman film |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Dial Press, New York, 1964, the basis for the 1970 Arthur Penn and Dustin Hoffman film. The first printing carries the 1964 date with no later-printing statement on the copyright page, is bound in black cloth-backed patterned brown paper boards with map endpapers, and has a first-state dust jacket carrying its printed price. Identify by the 1964 Dial imprint, the absence of any later-printing notice, and the priced jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The US Dial first is the true first. The film drives demand for the comparatively scarce first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues lack the jacket price and typically carry a blind stamp to the rear board. The true first shows the 1964 Dial imprint with no later-printing statement and a priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Little Big Man* by Thomas Berger a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/little-big-man
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.