# Is "The Ferguson Affair" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Ferguson Affair by Ross Macdonald (Alfred A. Knopf, 1960) is identified by: Knopf (New York), 1960, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device. US Knopf 1960 is the true first edition and first printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1960, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device
- Octavo, 283 pages; bound in quarter red cloth spine over blue paper-covered boards, with the title stamped on the spine cloth
- A non-Archer standalone novel whose protagonist is the lawyer William Gunnarson
- A first-state pictorial dust jacket retains the original printed price on the front flap (unclipped) and is not price-clipped
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1960, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1960, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device. Octavo, 283 pages; bound in quarter red cloth spine over blue paper-covered boards, with the title stamped on the spine cloth. A non-Archer standalone novel whose protagonist is the lawyer William Gunnarson. A first-state pictorial dust jacket retains the original printed price on the front flap (unclipped) and is not price-clipped.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1960 is the true first edition and first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints and any later issues lack the 'FIRST EDITION' statement on the copyright page; book-club printings are typically thinner, on cheaper stock, and carry no printed price on the jacket flap.

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