The points of issue
First printing, with no statement of later printing on the copyright page. Blue cloth spine with green and white lettering; pictorial dust jacket.
Is this the true first?
US first edition (Farrar, Straus and Company, New York, 1963). UK edition Heinemann, 1964.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings exist; identify the true first by the absence of any later-printing statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Last Night of Summer a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing, with no statement of later printing on the copyright page. Blue cloth spine with green and white lettering; pictorial dust jacket.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US first edition (Farrar, Straus and Company, New York, 1963). UK edition Heinemann, 1964.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings exist; identify the true first by the absence of any later-printing statement.
I have a first edition of The Last Night of Summer — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.