# Is "The Bushwhacked Piano" by Thomas McGuane a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bushwhacked Piano by Thomas McGuane (Simon & Schuster, 1971) is identified by: McGuane's second novel. The US Simon & Schuster 1971 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster first printing (ISBN 0-671-20819-5 / 9780671208196) with the original jacket price unclipped on the front flap
- Winner of the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas McGuane |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster first printing (ISBN 0-671-20819-5 / 9780671208196) with the original jacket price unclipped on the front flap |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
McGuane's second novel. Simon & Schuster first printing (ISBN 0-671-20819-5 / 9780671208196) with the original jacket price unclipped on the front flap. Winner of the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

## Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster 1971 edition is the true first. A UK edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the original flap price and the first-printing identifiers; a blind-stamp to the rear board is possible on club issues.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bushwhacked Piano* by Thomas McGuane a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bushwhacked-piano
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.