# Is "The Eye-Beaters, Blood, Victory, Madness, Buckhead and Mercy" by James Dickey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Eye-Beaters, Blood, Victory, Madness, Buckhead and Mercy by James Dickey (Doubleday & Company, 1970) is identified by: A signed limited edition of 250 copies (two-toned cloth, slipcased, with a signed limitation leaf) precedes the trade issue. The true first is the signed limited edition of 250 copies, which precedes the stated "First Edition" trade issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- A signed limited edition of 250 copies (two-toned cloth, slipcased, with a signed limitation leaf) precedes the trade issue
- The trade first edition has "First Edition" stated on the copyright page in a price-printed dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Dickey |
| Publisher | Doubleday & Company |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | A signed limited edition of 250 copies (two-toned cloth, slipcased, with a signed limitation leaf) precedes the trade issue |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Poetry. A signed limited edition of 250 copies (two-toned cloth, slipcased, with a signed limitation leaf) precedes the trade issue. The trade first edition has "First Edition" stated on the copyright page in a price-printed dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the signed limited edition of 250 copies, which precedes the stated "First Edition" trade issue. Both are 1970 Doubleday, Garden City.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition confirmed; later trade impressions lack the "First Edition" statement. The key precedence point is the signed limited issue over the trade issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Eye-Beaters, Blood, Victory, Madness, Buckhead and Mercy* by James Dickey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-eye-beaters-blood-victory-madness-buckhead-and-mercy
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.