# Is "The Merry Month of May" by James Jones a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Merry Month of May by James Jones (Delacorte Press, 1971) is identified by: First printing is stated on the copyright page, bound in black cloth boards with the author and title stamped in gilt on the spine, 361 pages. US Delacorte 1971 is the true first; a UK Collins edition followed the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing is stated on the copyright page, bound in black cloth boards with the author and title stamped in gilt on the spine, 361 pages
- The first-issue dust jacket carries its printed price at the top corner of the front flap and should be unclipped
- Novel of the 1968 Paris student uprising
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Jones |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing is stated on the copyright page, bound in black cloth boards with the author and title stamped in gilt on the spine, 361… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing is stated on the copyright page, bound in black cloth boards with the author and title stamped in gilt on the spine, 361 pages. The first-issue dust jacket carries its printed price at the top corner of the front flap and should be unclipped. Novel of the 1968 Paris student uprising.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte 1971 is the true first; a UK Collins edition followed the same year.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book club edition exists and is distinct from the trade first printing, which explicitly states First Printing on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Merry Month of May* by James Jones a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-merry-month-of-may
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.