# Is "The End of the Road" by John Barth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The End of the Road by John Barth (Doubleday, 1958) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the 1958 copyright date; publisher's dark blue cloth over boards, lettered and decorated in gilt on the spine. True first 1958 Doubleday.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the 1958 copyright date; publisher's dark blue cloth over boards, lettered and decorated in gilt on the spine
- Approximately 3,500 copies printed
- Original unrevised text
- First-issue dust jacket designed by Robert Watson; the record's earlier price figure was incorrect, and the jacket should retain its printed price and be unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Barth |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the 1958 copyright date; publisher's dark blue cloth over boards, lettered and decorated… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the 1958 copyright date; publisher's dark blue cloth over boards, lettered and decorated in gilt on the spine. Approximately 3,500 copies printed. Original unrevised text. First-issue dust jacket designed by Robert Watson; the record's earlier price figure was incorrect, and the jacket should retain its printed price and be unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
True first 1958 Doubleday. A revised text issued by Doubleday in 1967 is a first thus. UK first: Secker & Warburg, 1962.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the printed jacket price and the first-edition statement, are smaller and lighter than the trade issue, and often show a blind-stamped indent on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The End of the Road* by John Barth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-end-of-the-road
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.