The points of issue
Cloth; first printing carries a complete number line on the copyright page ending in '1' per Oxford's convention, with no later-printing statement. The dust jacket is priced.
Is this the true first?
Oxford University Press (New York) issued the true first in 1991. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1992.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club variant of note; identify the first by a complete number line and absence of any later-printing or paperback statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Cloth; first printing carries a complete number line on the copyright page ending in '1' per Oxford's convention, with no later-printing statement. The dust jacket is priced.
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. Oxford University Press (New York) issued the true first in 1991. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1992.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club variant of note; identify the first by a complete number line and absence of any later-printing or paperback statement.
I have a first edition of The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties — 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.