# Is "The Disenchanted" by Budd Schulberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Disenchanted by Budd Schulberg (Random House, 1950) is identified by: Random House, New York, 1950, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; blue cloth stamped in gold, 388 pages, in a dust jacket carrying the printed price at the upper flap (present, unclipped price preferred; never state the amount). US Random House first (stated 'First Printing') precedes the UK first (The Bodley Head, 1951).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House, New York, 1950, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; blue cloth stamped in gold, 388 pages, in a dust jacket carrying the printed price at the upper flap (present, unclipped price preferred; never state the amount)
- Roman a clef drawing on F. Scott Fitzgerald
- A separate numbered limited issue 'specially made for presentation to the Booksellers of America' also exists (copies numbered in sequence, e.g
- 246, 331); it is a distinct presentation issue and should be described as such rather than conflated with the ordinary stated-First-Printing trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Budd Schulberg |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House, New York, 1950, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; blue cloth stamped in gold, 388 pages, in a dust jacket… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House, New York, 1950, with 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page; blue cloth stamped in gold, 388 pages, in a dust jacket carrying the printed price at the upper flap (present, unclipped price preferred; never state the amount). Roman a clef drawing on F. Scott Fitzgerald. A separate numbered limited issue 'specially made for presentation to the Booksellers of America' also exists (copies numbered in sequence, e.g. 246, 331); it is a distinct presentation issue and should be described as such rather than conflated with the ordinary stated-First-Printing trade first.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House first (stated 'First Printing') precedes the UK first (The Bodley Head, 1951). A separate Random House 'First Canadian Printing' also exists and should not be confused with the US first, as does the numbered Booksellers of America presentation issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition exists with a blind-stamp (small blind dot/square) on the rear board and no 'First Printing' statement; it is typically on lighter, cheaper boards and lacks a jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Disenchanted* by Budd Schulberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-disenchanted
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.