The points of issue
The true first bears the Harper's Magazine Press imprint, dated 1973; original boards, illustrations by George Koizumi, with the copyright page carrying no later-printing notation. Hazan's first book.
Is this the true first?
Precedence is critical. The genuine first is the 1973 Harper's Magazine Press edition. Editor Judith Jones later moved Hazan to Alfred A. Knopf, which issued the book in 1976 with a different jacket design; that Knopf printing is a later first-thus, not the true first. Dealers sometimes mislabel the Knopf as the first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1976 Knopf edition and the combined 1992 Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Knopf), which merges this title with More Classic Italian Cooking, are later forms. Confirm the Harper's Magazine Press imprint for the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Classic Italian Cook Book: The Art of Italian Cooking and the Italian Art of Eating a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The true first bears the Harper's Magazine Press imprint, dated 1973; original boards, illustrations by George Koizumi, with the copyright page carrying no later-printing notation. Hazan's first book.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Precedence is critical. The genuine first is the 1973 Harper's Magazine Press edition. Editor Judith Jones later moved Hazan to Alfred A. Knopf, which issued the book in 1976 with a different jacket design; that Knopf printing is a later first-thus, not the true first. Dealers sometimes mislabel the
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The 1976 Knopf edition and the combined 1992 Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Knopf), which merges this title with More Classic Italian Cooking, are later forms. Confirm the Harper's Magazine Press imprint for the true first.
I have a first edition of The Classic Italian Cook Book: The Art of Italian Cooking and the Italian Art of Eating — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.