# Is "The Armies of the Night" by Norman Mailer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Armies of the Night by Norman Mailer (The New American Library, 1968) is identified by: New American Library, New York, 1968; the copyright page carries a stated First Printing for the true first. US New American Library (1968) is the true first, preceding the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition (pale green cloth) of 1968.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New American Library, New York, 1968; the copyright page carries a stated First Printing for the true first
- Octavo, 288 pages, bound in cloth with illustrated endpapers and the title stamped on the spine
- The first-issue dust jacket is designed by Paul Bacon and bears the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped
- Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award
- Publisher imprint reads The New American Library
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Norman Mailer |
| Publisher | The New American Library |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New American Library, New York, 1968; the copyright page carries a stated First Printing for the true first |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New American Library, New York, 1968; the copyright page carries a stated First Printing for the true first. Octavo, 288 pages, bound in cloth with illustrated endpapers and the title stamped on the spine. The first-issue dust jacket is designed by Paul Bacon and bears the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.

## Is this the true first?
US New American Library (1968) is the true first, preceding the UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition (pale green cloth) of 1968. The full title is 'The Armies of the Night: History as a Novel, The Novel as History.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue lacks the stated first-printing line, is typically blind-stamped on the rear board, and comes in an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Armies of the Night* by Norman Mailer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-armies-of-the-night
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.