# Is "The Headmaster: Frank L. Boyden of Deerfield" by John McPhee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Headmaster: Frank L. Boyden of Deerfield by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1966) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux first printing, 1966 (149 pp.), with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. US true first edition (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1966).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux first printing, 1966 (149 pp.), with no later-printing statement on the copyright page
- Bound in green cloth with gilt lettering to the spine
- The first-state dust jacket was designed by Lawrence Ratzkin (jacket sketch by Donald Greason) and carries the publisher's price on the front flap
- McPhee's second book
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John McPhee |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux first printing, 1966 (149 pp.), with no later-printing… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux first printing, 1966 (149 pp.), with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Bound in green cloth with gilt lettering to the spine. The first-state dust jacket was designed by Lawrence Ratzkin (jacket sketch by Donald Greason) and carries the publisher's price on the front flap. McPhee's second book.

## Is this the true first?
US true first edition (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1966).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No known book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Headmaster: Frank L. Boyden of Deerfield* by John McPhee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-headmaster-frank-l-boyden-of-deerfield
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.