# Is "Such Men Are Dangerous" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Such Men Are Dangerous by Lawrence Block (The Macmillan Company, 1969) is identified by: First edition published under the pen name Paul Kavanagh (subtitled A Novel of Violence). US Macmillan (The Macmillan Company) true first, issued under the byline Paul Kavanagh.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published under the pen name Paul Kavanagh (subtitled A Novel of Violence)
- First printing in red cloth with gilt spine titles and a priced dust jacket; no later-printing statement on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads The Macmillan Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | The Macmillan Company |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition published under the pen name Paul Kavanagh (subtitled A Novel of Violence) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition published under the pen name Paul Kavanagh (subtitled A Novel of Violence). First printing in red cloth with gilt spine titles and a priced dust jacket; no later-printing statement on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US Macmillan (The Macmillan Company) true first, issued under the byline Paul Kavanagh. First of three Kavanagh novels.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Any book-club edition would lack the priced jacket and typically show a blindstamp to the rear board; verify the priced jacket and the absence of a later-printing statement to confirm the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Such Men Are Dangerous* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/such-men-are-dangerous
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.