# Is "Point of No Return" by John P. Marquand a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Point of No Return by John P. Marquand (Little, Brown and Company, 1949) is identified by: Two first-issue states exist. US first, Little, Brown, Boston, 1949.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Two first-issue states exist
- A signed limited edition of 600 copies, signed on the limitation page, precedes the trade printing
- The trade first printing carries the Little, Brown first-edition statement on the copyright page with no later-printing notice
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John P. Marquand |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Two first-issue states exist |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Two first-issue states exist. A signed limited edition of 600 copies, signed on the limitation page, precedes the trade printing. The trade first printing carries the Little, Brown first-edition statement on the copyright page with no later-printing notice.

## Is this the true first?
US first, Little, Brown, Boston, 1949. The signed limited edition of 600 copies precedes the first trade edition; the limited issue is the earliest state. First British edition published by Robert Hale, London, in 1949.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book-of-the-Month Club issue exists, identifiable by a blind-stamped impression on the lower rear board near the spine; it is not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Point of No Return* by John P. Marquand a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/point-of-no-return
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.