# Is "Patriotic Gore: Studies in the Literature of the American Civil War" by Edmund Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Patriotic Gore: Studies in the Literature of the American Civil War by Edmund Wilson (Oxford University Press, 1962) is identified by: Oxford University Press (New York), 1962; publisher's gilt-stamped blue cloth, dated 1962 on the title page with the same date and no later-printing statement on the copyright page, in a priced first-state dust jacket. The US Oxford University Press (New York) printing is the true first, 1962.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Oxford University Press (New York), 1962; publisher's gilt-stamped blue cloth, dated 1962 on the title page with the same date and no later-printing statement on the copyright page, in a priced first-state dust jacket
- Collation xxxii plus 816 pages
- First-edition copies carry no SBN or ISBN
- Publisher imprint reads Oxford University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edmund Wilson |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Oxford University Press (New York), 1962; publisher's gilt-stamped blue cloth, dated 1962 on the title page with the same date and no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Oxford University Press (New York), 1962; publisher's gilt-stamped blue cloth, dated 1962 on the title page with the same date and no later-printing statement on the copyright page, in a priced first-state dust jacket. Collation xxxii plus 816 pages. First-edition copies carry no SBN or ISBN.

## Is this the true first?
The US Oxford University Press (New York) printing is the true first, 1962.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add a printing statement to the copyright page; confirm the copyright page is free of any later-printing line, that the title-page date matches the copyright date, and that the jacket is unclipped and retains its printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Patriotic Gore: Studies in the Literature of the American Civil War* by Edmund Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/patriotic-gore-studies-in-the-literature-of-the-american-civ
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.