# Is "The Milagro Beanfield War signed first" by John Nichols a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Milagro Beanfield War signed first by John Nichols (Holt Rinehart, 1974) is identified by: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1974, first edition, octavo, 445 pages, illustrated by Rini Templeton. The US Holt, Rinehart and Winston 1974 edition is the true first; the first UK edition (Andre Deutsch) did not appear until 1977, so the American issue precedes all others.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1974, first edition, octavo, 445 pages, illustrated by Rini Templeton
- The binding is black cloth with the title gilt-stamped on the spine
- The true first is complete in its unclipped dust jacket, which should retain the printed price on the upper front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Holt Rinehart
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Nichols |
| Publisher | Holt Rinehart |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1974, first edition, octavo, 445 pages, illustrated by Rini Templeton |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1974, first edition, octavo, 445 pages, illustrated by Rini Templeton. The binding is black cloth with the title gilt-stamped on the spine. The true first is complete in its unclipped dust jacket, which should retain the printed price on the upper front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Holt, Rinehart and Winston 1974 edition is the true first; the first UK edition (Andre Deutsch) did not appear until 1977, so the American issue precedes all others. Confirm by the Holt, Rinehart and Winston imprint and the Rini Templeton illustrations.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition. Book-club copies typically bear a blind stamp to the rear board and a smaller, cheaper binding, and lack the priced first-issue dust jacket. Use the points above to be certain.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Milagro Beanfield War signed first* by John Nichols a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-milagro-beanfield-war-signed-first
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.