# Is "The Quick Red Fox" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Quick Red Fox by John D. MacDonald (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1964) is identified by: Gold Medal paperback original, September 1964. Paperback original; no earlier edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gold Medal paperback original, September 1964
- Travis McGee #4
- First printing identified by the Gold Medal serial number and unmarked printing statement in pictorial wraps
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gold Medal paperback original, September 1964 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Gold Medal paperback original, September 1964. Travis McGee #4. First printing identified by the Gold Medal serial number and unmarked printing statement in pictorial wraps.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; no earlier edition. The Gold Medal wraps edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings exist; the first is the unmarked Gold Medal wraps issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Quick Red Fox* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-quick-red-fox
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.