The points of issue
Large folio, very heavy; tan cloth; profusely illustrated with color paintings, photographs, and nearly a thousand line drawings; first printing with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; first-state jacket retains its price.
Is this the true first?
US Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge) 1990 is the true first edition. The work won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1991.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints are common given continued demand; check the copyright page for added printing statements.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Ants a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Large folio, very heavy; tan cloth; profusely illustrated with color paintings, photographs, and nearly a thousand line drawings; first printing with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; first-state jacket retains its price.
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 Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (Cambridge) 1990 is the true first edition. The work won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1991.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Reprints are common given continued demand; check the copyright page for added printing statements.
I have a first edition of The Ants — 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.