# Is "Roots: The Saga of an American Family" by Alex Haley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley (Doubleday, 1976) is identified by: First edition, first printing: Doubleday, 1976, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Doubleday convention) and no later-printing codes. US Doubleday 1976 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: Doubleday, 1976, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Doubleday convention) and no later-printing codes
- First-issue dust jacket priced (the printed price)
- Issued just before the landmark 1977 TV miniseries
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Alex Haley |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: Doubleday, 1976, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Doubleday convention) and no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: Doubleday, 1976, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Doubleday convention) and no later-printing codes. First-issue dust jacket priced (the printed price). Issued just before the landmark 1977 TV miniseries.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday 1976 is the true first. The 1977 miniseries triggered enormous reprinting; pre-miniseries first printings are the desirable state. Signed Haley copies command premiums.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Roots was a major Book-of-the-Month Club title; BOMC copies lack the Doubleday 'First Edition' statement, have a blind BOMC board dot, are slightly smaller, and carry unpriced jackets. Club copies are very common.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Roots: The Saga of an American Family* by Alex Haley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/roots-the-saga-of-an-american-family
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.