# Is "The Plot Against America" by Philip Roth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin, 2004) is identified by: First edition, first printing, Houghton Mifflin, 2004; an octavo of 391 pages, designed by Robert Oberholzner. The US Houghton Mifflin edition is the true first; the UK Jonathan Cape edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, Houghton Mifflin, 2004; an octavo of 391 pages, designed by Robert Oberholzner
- Identified by a complete number line running down to the 1 on the copyright page
- Bound in black boards with the spine lettered in gilt, in the trade dust jacket, which carries the printed retail price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip Roth |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, Houghton Mifflin, 2004; an octavo of 391 pages, designed by Robert Oberholzner |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, Houghton Mifflin, 2004; an octavo of 391 pages, designed by Robert Oberholzner. Identified by a complete number line running down to the 1 on the copyright page. Bound in black boards with the spine lettered in gilt, in the trade dust jacket, which carries the printed retail price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Houghton Mifflin edition is the true first; the UK Jonathan Cape edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is the priority issue; later printings show a shortened number line that no longer descends to the 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Plot Against America* by Philip Roth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-plot-against-america
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.