# Is "Ming Yellow" by John P. Marquand a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ming Yellow by John P. Marquand (Little, Brown and Company, 1935) is identified by: First printing identified by 'Published March 1935' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing notice. US first edition (Little, Brown and Company, Boston, March 1935).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing identified by 'Published March 1935' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing notice
- Bound in yellow cloth with blue lettering and decoration to the front board and spine
- Adventure novel of a porcelain collector and a Chinese warlord
- First-issue copies in the pictorial dust jacket should retain the printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John P. Marquand |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1935 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing identified by 'Published March 1935' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing notice |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing identified by 'Published March 1935' stated on the copyright page with no later-printing notice. Bound in yellow cloth with blue lettering and decoration to the front board and spine. Adventure novel of a porcelain collector and a Chinese warlord. First-issue copies in the pictorial dust jacket should retain the printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition (Little, Brown and Company, Boston, March 1935). The UK edition appeared later and does not have precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are noted on the copyright page; the documented first-printing point is the 'Published March 1935' statement, and the first appears in yellow cloth with blue front-board decoration.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ming Yellow* by John P. Marquand a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ming-yellow
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.