# Is "The Godwulf Manuscript" by Robert B. Parker a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker (Houghton Mifflin, 1974) is identified by: The first printing states "First Printing" on the copyright page, accompanied by Houghton Mifflin's letter code (reported in dealer descriptions as "c"). Houghton Mifflin (Boston) 1974 is the true first; the first UK edition followed from Andre Deutsch (London), also 1974.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing states "First Printing" on the copyright page, accompanied by Houghton Mifflin's letter code (reported in dealer descriptions as "c")
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the date code "0174" at the lower corner of the inside front flap along with the price (priced, unclipped jacket called for)
- Binding is brown cloth with the title in gilt on the spine and a red topstain; octavo, 186 pp
- Parker's first book and the first Spenser novel; the first printing is reported at roughly 7,000 copies
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert B. Parker |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing states "First Printing" on the copyright page, accompanied by Houghton Mifflin's letter code (reported in dealer… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing states "First Printing" on the copyright page, accompanied by Houghton Mifflin's letter code (reported in dealer descriptions as "c"). The first-issue dust jacket carries the date code "0174" at the lower corner of the inside front flap along with the price (priced, unclipped jacket called for). Binding is brown cloth with the title in gilt on the spine and a red topstain; octavo, 186 pp. Parker's first book and the first Spenser novel; the first printing is reported at roughly 7,000 copies.

## Is this the true first?
Houghton Mifflin (Boston) 1974 is the true first; the first UK edition followed from Andre Deutsch (London), also 1974. Both are collected; the Houghton Mifflin edition has precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Copies lacking the stated "First Printing" on the copyright page, or jackets without the flap price and the "0174" date code, are later printings or later-issue jackets; no distinct book-club points beyond these were documented in the sources consulted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Godwulf Manuscript* by Robert B. Parker a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-godwulf-manuscript
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.