# Is "Mr. Sammler's Planet" by Saul Bellow a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mr. Sammler's Planet by Saul Bellow (The Viking Press, 1970) is identified by: Quarter blue cloth over blue paper boards, black lettering on front board and spine, blue topstain and endpapers; the copyright page reads 'First published in 1970' with no later-printing statement, and the first-issue jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap. The US Viking Press edition is the true first; the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Quarter blue cloth over blue paper boards, black lettering on front board and spine, blue topstain and endpapers; the copyright page reads 'First published in 1970' with no later-printing statement, and the first-issue jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap
- National Book Award winner
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Saul Bellow |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Quarter blue cloth over blue paper boards, black lettering on front board and spine, blue topstain and endpapers; the copyright page reads… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Quarter blue cloth over blue paper boards, black lettering on front board and spine, blue topstain and endpapers; the copyright page reads 'First published in 1970' with no later-printing statement, and the first-issue jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap. National Book Award winner.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking Press edition is the true first; the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Book-of-the-Month Club edition lacks the printed jacket price and typically carries a blind-stamp on the rear board; compare jacket and boards to the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mr. Sammler's Planet* by Saul Bellow a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mr-sammlers-planet
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.