# Is "Lucy Crown" by Irwin Shaw a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Lucy Crown by Irwin Shaw (Random House, 1956) is identified by: True first bound in red cloth, 339 pages, Shaw's third novel. US Random House (1956) is the true first; Jonathan Cape issued the first UK edition the same year, 1956.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first bound in red cloth, 339 pages, Shaw's third novel
- Identify by the explicit "First Printing" statement on the copyright page with no later-printing line or number sequence; later printings replace or drop that statement
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Irwin Shaw |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first bound in red cloth, 339 pages, Shaw's third novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first bound in red cloth, 339 pages, Shaw's third novel. Identify by the explicit "First Printing" statement on the copyright page with no later-printing line or number sequence; later printings replace or drop that statement. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House (1956) is the true first; Jonathan Cape issued the first UK edition the same year, 1956.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book-of-the-Month Club edition exists; it lacks the stated "First Printing" and typically shows a blind-stamped board indent on the rear cover, so it is readily distinguishable from the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Lucy Crown* by Irwin Shaw a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/lucy-crown
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.