# Is "Profiles in Courage" by John F. Kennedy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy (Harper & Brothers, 1956) is identified by: First edition, first issue: Harper code 'A-F' (i.e., letter code 'A' indicating January 1956 first printing) on the copyright page — Harper used a two-character code where the first letter is the printing (A = first) and following letters/numerals the year. US Harper & Brothers 1956 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first issue: Harper code 'A-F' (i.e., letter code 'A' indicating January 1956 first printing) on the copyright page — Harper used a two-character code where the first letter is the printing (A = first) and following letters/numerals the year
- First-issue dust jacket with its printed price
- Original cloth
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John F. Kennedy |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first issue: Harper code 'A-F' (i.e., letter code 'A' indicating January 1956 first printing) on the copyright page — Harper… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first issue: Harper code 'A-F' (i.e., letter code 'A' indicating January 1956 first printing) on the copyright page — Harper used a two-character code where the first letter is the printing (A = first) and following letters/numerals the year. First-issue dust jacket with its printed price. Original cloth.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper & Brothers 1956 is the true first. Inscribed/signed copies (especially as senator, pre-presidency) carry very large premiums and are heavily faked — provenance and authentic signatures matter. The Harper letter code 'A' is the key first-printing point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the Harper 'A' first-printing code, have a blind BOMC board dot, are slightly smaller, and carry an unpriced jacket. The Inaugural/Memorial editions are later.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Profiles in Courage* by John F. Kennedy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/profiles-in-courage
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.