# Is "The Bible and the Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour" by Barbara W. Tuchman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bible and the Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour by Barbara W. Tuchman (New York University Press, 1956) is identified by: New York University Press first printing, 1956, in orange cloth with gilt spine lettering, with a price-present dust jacket and no later-printing statement. US true first is the New York University Press edition of 1956, which precedes the London (Redman) edition of 1957.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New York University Press first printing, 1956, in orange cloth with gilt spine lettering, with a price-present dust jacket and no later-printing statement
- The book's actual published title is 'Bible and Sword' (without the leading article)
- Publisher imprint reads New York University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Barbara W. Tuchman |
| Publisher | New York University Press |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New York University Press first printing, 1956, in orange cloth with gilt spine… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
New York University Press first printing, 1956, in orange cloth with gilt spine lettering, with a price-present dust jacket and no later-printing statement. The book's actual published title is 'Bible and Sword' (without the leading article).

## Is this the true first?
US true first is the New York University Press edition of 1956, which precedes the London (Redman) edition of 1957. This was Tuchman's second book, following 'The Lost British Policy' of 1938, and the work that established her career.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints include Knopf (1978), Papermac, and Ballantine paperback; a London Redman edition appeared in 1957. None of these are the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bible and the Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour* by Barbara W. Tuchman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bible-and-the-sword-england-and-palestine-from-the-bronz
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.