The points of issue
Cloth; Yale University Press (New Haven), 1981, with first-printing indicia on the copyright page and no later-printing statement. The dust jacket is priced. Later printings are so noted on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
Yale University Press (New Haven) issued the true first in 1981. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1982.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish the first printing from subsequent printings, which add a printing statement on the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Mary Chesnut's Civil War a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Cloth; Yale University Press (New Haven), 1981, with first-printing indicia on the copyright page and no later-printing statement. The dust jacket is priced. Later printings are so noted on the copyright page.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Yale University Press (New Haven) issued the true first in 1981. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1982.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Distinguish the first printing from subsequent printings, which add a printing statement on the copyright page.
I have a first edition of Mary Chesnut's Civil War — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.