# Is "The Names" by Don DeLillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Names by Don DeLillo (Alfred A. Knopf, 1982) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Edition' (dealers also record 'First Edition, First Printing') with no notice of later printings; quarter cream cloth over light-brown boards, gilt spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries its printed flap price unclipped. US Knopf 1982 is the true first; the UK Hamish Hamilton edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' (dealers also record 'First Edition, First Printing') with no notice of later printings; quarter cream cloth over light-brown boards, gilt spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries its printed flap price unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Don DeLillo |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Edition' (dealers also record 'First Edition, First Printing') with no notice of later printings; quarter… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' (dealers also record 'First Edition, First Printing') with no notice of later printings; quarter cream cloth over light-brown boards, gilt spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries its printed flap price unclipped. 339 pp.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1982 is the true first; the UK Hamish Hamilton edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant club edition; later trade reprints are Vintage Contemporaries paperbacks.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Names* by Don DeLillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-names
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.