# Is "The Galton Case" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Galton Case by Ross Macdonald (Alfred A. Knopf, 1959) is identified by: True first is the 1959 Knopf HARDCOVER (not a PBO). Caution title: the Bantam paperback is a reprint, not the first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the 1959 Knopf HARDCOVER (not a PBO)
- Listed only as a caution: Macdonald/Lew Archer firsts are hardcover
- Knopf first printings state 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon and no later-printing indicators
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the 1959 Knopf HARDCOVER (not a PBO) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the 1959 Knopf HARDCOVER (not a PBO). Listed only as a caution: Macdonald/Lew Archer firsts are hardcover. Knopf first printings state 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon and no later-printing indicators.

## Is this the true first?
Caution title: the Bantam paperback is a reprint, not the first. Hardcover precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Knopf hardcover firsts say 'FIRST EDITION'; book-club editions lack the statement, have blind-stamp on the rear board, and a price-clipped/no-price jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Galton Case* by Ross Macdonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-galton-case
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.