# Is "The Group" by Mary McCarthy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Group by Mary McCarthy (Harcourt, Brace & World, 1963) is identified by: The US Harcourt, Brace & World (New York, 1963) hardcover is the true first. US Harcourt, Brace & World 1963 is the true first; the first UK edition (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1963) followed the same year and is the later issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The US Harcourt, Brace & World (New York, 1963) hardcover is the true first
- Harcourt, Brace & World (1960-1970) identified first printings by 'First Edition' (or 'First American Edition') stated on the copyright page and dropped that statement on later printings; the ABCDE letter-line system belongs to the successor Harcourt Brace Jovanovich imprint and does NOT apply to a 1963 book, so identification here rests on the printed statement, not on any letter code
- It is bound in blue cloth with the spine lettered in silver
- 378 pp., octavo, in a priced dust jacket with the price present at the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace & World
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary McCarthy |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The US Harcourt, Brace & World (New York, 1963) hardcover is the true first |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The US Harcourt, Brace & World (New York, 1963) hardcover is the true first. Harcourt, Brace & World (1960-1970) identified first printings by 'First Edition' (or 'First American Edition') stated on the copyright page and dropped that statement on later printings; the ABCDE letter-line system belongs to the successor Harcourt Brace Jovanovich imprint and does NOT apply to a 1963 book, so identification here rests on the printed statement, not on any letter code. It is bound in blue cloth with the spine lettered in silver; 378 pp., octavo, in a priced dust jacket with the price present at the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt, Brace & World 1963 is the true first; the first UK edition (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1963) followed the same year and is the later issue. Census precedence confirmed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club (Book-of-the-Month) issue exists; standard tells are 'Book Club Edition' printed at the lower front jacket flap with no price present, plus a small blind-stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Group* by Mary McCarthy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-group
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.