Is My Copy of The Asphalt Jungle a First Edition?

The points of issue

• "First Edition" is stated on the copyright page of the first printing, per Knopf's post-1934 convention
• Knopf removed the statement on subsequent printings, so a copyright page lacking it is not the first
• The book is an octavo in the publisher's distinctive purple-and-white patterned paper-covered boards stamped in black — this patterned-board binding is the readiest shelf-level check and is described consistently across independent ABAA catalogue entries
• Issued in a pictorial dust jacket; a priced jacket with the price present at the flap is the unclipped state
• No first-state text errors or textual points of issue are documented for this title in the sources consulted — identification rests on the stated copyright page plus the correct binding

How Alfred A. Knopf marked a first edition

• c.1933/1934 onward (stated 'First Edition' era — the core rule): Knopf began consistently printing 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page of first printings, or 'FIRST AMERICAN EDITION' when the book had already appeared…

Full Alfred A. Knopf first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

US Knopf (New York) 1949 is the true first edition. The first British edition followed a year later — Macdonald, London, 1950, an octavo in black cloth — and is collected as the first UK edition only, not as the true first. Any later hardcover reissue, and the paperback and film-tie-in appearances following John Huston's 1950 adaptation, are reprints or "first thus."

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book-club edition tells for this title are documented in the sources consulted. Standard Knopf-era discriminators apply: a first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page, and the boards should be the purple-and-white patterned paper — a copy in plain cloth, or lacking the copyright-page statement, is a later printing or a club/reprint issue. Because no blind-stamp or club-specific point is attested for this title, do not infer club status from binding alone without the copyright page.P-040552

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Asphalt Jungle a first edition?

A first edition of The Asphalt Jungle by W. R. Burnett (Alfred A. Knopf) is identified by: "First Edition" is stated on the copyright page of the first printing, per Knopf's post-1934 convention; Knopf removed the statement on subsequent printings, so a copyright page lacking it is not the first.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. US Knopf (New York) 1949 is the true first edition.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book-club edition tells for this title are documented in the sources consulted. Standard Knopf-era discriminators apply: a first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page, and the boards should be the purple-and-white patterned paper — a copy in plain cloth, or lacking the copyright-page statement, is a later printing or a club/reprint issue.

I have a first edition of The Asphalt Jungle — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.