# Is "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" by George V. Higgins a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins (Alfred A. Knopf, 1972) is identified by: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device. US Knopf (1972) is the recognized true first, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated and the '2/72' jacket date code.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device
- Octavo, 183 pp., approximately 220 mm tall
- The recognized first-issue binding is green cloth with the top edge sprayed green and bright gilt titling to the spine (a later blue-cloth binding of the same edition is regarded as a second binding state)
- The rear board carries a blind-stamped Borzoi imprint
- The first-issue jacket bears the printed price on the front flap with the '2/72' date code, the design front panel, and the ISBN to the rear panel; the printed price should be present (a clipped flap does not by itself demote a first)
- Higgins's debut and a landmark dialogue-driven crime novel
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George V. Higgins |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device. Octavo, 183 pp., approximately 220 mm tall. The recognized first-issue binding is green cloth with the top edge sprayed green and bright gilt titling to the spine (a later blue-cloth binding of the same edition is regarded as a second binding state). The rear board carries a blind-stamped Borzoi imprint. The first-issue jacket bears the printed price on the front flap with the '2/72' date code, the design front panel, and the ISBN to the rear panel; the printed price should be present (a clipped flap does not by itself demote a first). Higgins's debut and a landmark dialogue-driven crime novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf (1972) is the recognized true first, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated and the '2/72' jacket date code. The UK Martin Secker & Warburg edition also appeared in 1972 as a separate, later setting.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Book-of-the-Month/book-club edition is common: a blind-stamp (typically a small square) to the lower rear board, no printed jacket price, thinner paper and lighter bulk, and no '2/72' date code. The 1973 film tie-in printings postdate the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Friends of Eddie Coyle* by George V. Higgins a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-friends-of-eddie-coyle
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.