# Is "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (Houghton Mifflin, 1962) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Printing' (later printings are so marked or drop the statement). US Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1962 is the true first, preceding the UK Hamish Hamilton edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Printing' (later printings are so marked or drop the statement)
- 368 pp., bound in green cloth lettered in gilt on the spine
- The first-issue dust jacket is green with a printed price at the top of the front flap
- Chapter illustrations by Lois and Louis Darling
- Published by Houghton Mifflin, Boston, September 27, 1962
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rachel Carson |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Printing' (later printings are so marked or drop the statement) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Printing' (later printings are so marked or drop the statement). 368 pp., bound in green cloth lettered in gilt on the spine. The first-issue dust jacket is green with a printed price at the top of the front flap. Chapter illustrations by Lois and Louis Darling. Published by Houghton Mifflin, Boston, September 27, 1962.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1962 is the true first, preceding the UK Hamish Hamilton edition. The text first appeared serialized in The New Yorker in June 1962 (three parts) before book publication; the Houghton Mifflin volume is the first appearance in book form.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1962 Book-of-the-Month Club issue looks nearly identical but does NOT state 'First Printing' on the copyright page, carries a blind Book-of-the-Month Club stamp (a small dot/indentation) in the lower corner of the rear board, and has an unpriced jacket (no printed price at the flap).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Silent Spring* by Rachel Carson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/silent-spring
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.