# Is "Looking for a Ship" by John McPhee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Looking for a Ship by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990. US true first (FSG), hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990
- First printing shows the FSG copyright-page first-printing statement; the first-state dust jacket carries the FSG date code '0990' near the lower corner of the rear panel
- Hardcover, ISBN 0374190771
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John McPhee |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990. First printing shows the FSG copyright-page first-printing statement; the first-state dust jacket carries the FSG date code '0990' near the lower corner of the rear panel. Hardcover, ISBN 0374190771.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (FSG), hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No known Book Club Edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Looking for a Ship* by John McPhee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/looking-for-a-ship
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.