The points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement (Knopf convention, which does not rely on a number line). ISBN 0-375-41486-X (978-0-375-41486-2). First-issue jacket carries the printed price.
Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first, preceding the UK (Allen Lane) edition. Won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club hardcover of note; confusion is with later Knopf printings that drop the 'First Edition' line. The stated 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement, plus the printed-price jacket, identifies the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement (Knopf convention, which does not rely on a number line). ISBN 0-375-41486-X (978-0-375-41486-2). First-issue jacket carries the printed price.
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 Knopf is the true first, preceding the UK (Allen Lane) edition. Won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club hardcover of note; confusion is with later Knopf printings that drop the 'First Edition' line. The stated 'First Edition' with no later-printing statement, plus the printed-price jacket, identifies the first.
I have a first edition of The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 — 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.