# Is "Michael Scarlett" by James Gould Cozzens a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Michael Scarlett by James Gould Cozzens (Albert & Charles Boni, 1925) is identified by: First edition, published New York by Albert & Charles Boni in 1925. US first (Boni, 1925).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, published New York by Albert & Charles Boni in 1925
- Full title on the title page is Michael Scarlett: A History
- Octavo in black cloth with orange lettering
- Cozzens's second novel, an Elizabethan historical novel
- Publisher imprint reads Albert & Charles Boni
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Gould Cozzens |
| Publisher | Albert & Charles Boni |
| Year | 1925 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, published New York by Albert & Charles Boni in 1925 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, published New York by Albert & Charles Boni in 1925. Full title on the title page is Michael Scarlett: A History. Octavo in black cloth with orange lettering. Cozzens's second novel, an Elizabethan historical novel.

## Is this the true first?
US first (Boni, 1925). A UK edition is sometimes cited but its publisher and date could not be confirmed from reliable sources, so it is not asserted here.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition for this title.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Michael Scarlett* by James Gould Cozzens a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/michael-scarlett
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.