# Is "Mao II" by Don DeLillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mao II by Don DeLillo (Viking, 1991) is identified by: Copyright page carries the complete number line 1 through 10 (to '1'); charcoal/gray boards with black cloth backstrip, silver spine lettering; first-issue jacket (Warhol image, design by Michael Ian Kaye) carries its printed flap price unclipped. US Viking (Viking Penguin) 1991 is the true first; the UK Jonathan Cape edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page carries the complete number line 1 through 10 (to '1'); charcoal/gray boards with black cloth backstrip, silver spine lettering; first-issue jacket (Warhol image, design by Michael Ian Kaye) carries its printed flap price unclipped
- PEN/Faulkner Award winner
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Don DeLillo |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page carries the complete number line 1 through 10 (to '1'); charcoal/gray boards with black cloth backstrip, silver spine… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page carries the complete number line 1 through 10 (to '1'); charcoal/gray boards with black cloth backstrip, silver spine lettering; first-issue jacket (Warhol image, design by Michael Ian Kaye) carries its printed flap price unclipped. PEN/Faulkner Award winner.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking (Viking Penguin) 1991 is the true first; the UK Jonathan Cape edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant club edition; later printings shorten the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mao II* by Don DeLillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mao-ii
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.