The points of issue
The Viking Press, New York, 1978. The first printing is identified by the copyright-page statement that the book was first published in 1978 by The Viking Press, with no statement of a later printing. First-state dust jacket is priced on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
US Viking (New York) is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition followed in 1979. The book won the 1979 National Book Award for Contemporary Thought and a 1980 National Book Award in the paperback category.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A separate Franklin Library leather issue exists and is not the trade first. Book-club reprints lack the jacket price. Confirm there is no later-printing statement on the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Silent Spring companion — instead: The Snow Leopard a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The Viking Press, New York, 1978. The first printing is identified by the copyright-page statement that the book was first published in 1978 by The Viking Press, with no statement of a later printing. First-state dust jacket is priced on the front flap.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Viking (New York) is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition followed in 1979. The book won the 1979 National Book Award for Contemporary Thought and a 1980 National Book Award in the paperback category.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A separate Franklin Library leather issue exists and is not the trade first. Book-club reprints lack the jacket price. Confirm there is no later-printing statement on the copyright page.
I have a first edition of Silent Spring companion — instead: The Snow Leopard — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.