# Is "The Doomsters" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Doomsters by Ross Macdonald (Alfred A. Knopf, 1958) is identified by: Knopf (New York), 1958. The US Knopf hardcover (1958) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1958. 'FIRST EDITION' is stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi imprint
- The first printing is bound in purple patterned paper-covered boards with the spine titling stamped in black
- The first-issue dust jacket carries art by Bill English and should retain its printed front-flap price (price present; a price-clipped jacket is still a first-issue jacket)
- Seventh novel in the Lew Archer series
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1958. 'FIRST EDITION' is stated on the copyright page beneath… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1958. 'FIRST EDITION' is stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi imprint. The first printing is bound in purple patterned paper-covered boards with the spine titling stamped in black. The first-issue dust jacket carries art by Bill English and should retain its printed front-flap price (price present; a price-clipped jacket is still a first-issue jacket). Seventh novel in the Lew Archer series.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf hardcover (1958) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Knopf printings lack the 'FIRST EDITION' statement on the copyright page; any book-club issue is a smaller, cheaper-bound volume with an unpriced jacket.

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