# Is "The Blue Hammer" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Blue Hammer by Ross Macdonald (Alfred A. Knopf, 1976) is identified by: Knopf, New York, 1976, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page. The US Knopf trade edition is the true first; 'signed' copies are simply signed trade first editions, not a separate limited issue that precedes it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1976, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page
- Blue boards with black cloth spine lettered in gilt, in the Hal Siegel dust jacket
- The final Lew Archer novel
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1976, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1976, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page. Blue boards with black cloth spine lettered in gilt, in the Hal Siegel dust jacket; 270 pp. The final Lew Archer novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf trade edition is the true first; 'signed' copies are simply signed trade first editions, not a separate limited issue that precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and book-club editions lack the 'First edition' statement on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Blue Hammer* by Ross Macdonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-blue-hammer
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.