# Is "The Radicalism of the American Revolution" by Gordon S. Wood a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood (Alfred A. Knopf, 1992) is identified by: Quarter cloth over boards (cloth-backed boards), issued as a Borzoi book by Alfred A. Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Quarter cloth over boards (cloth-backed boards), issued as a Borzoi book by Alfred A. Knopf
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' accompanied by the running-borzoi (Borzoi) colophon
- Knopf firsts of this period carry the stated-edition line rather than a descending number line
- First-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap and is unclipped-agnostic for identification
- Book-club copies lack the printed-price jacket and omit the stated 'First Edition' line
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gordon S. Wood |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Quarter cloth over boards (cloth-backed boards), issued as a Borzoi book by Alfred A. Knopf |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Quarter cloth over boards (cloth-backed boards), issued as a Borzoi book by Alfred A. Knopf. The copyright page states 'First Edition' accompanied by the running-borzoi (Borzoi) colophon; Knopf firsts of this period carry the stated-edition line rather than a descending number line. First-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap and is unclipped-agnostic for identification. Book-club copies lack the printed-price jacket and omit the stated 'First Edition' line.

## Is this the true first?
Alfred A. Knopf (New York), a Borzoi book, issued the true first. The copyright is 1992 though the book reached the trade in late 1991; the 1992-dated Knopf hardcover is the first edition. It won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for History and the 1993 Bancroft Prize.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Knopf trade first carries 'First Edition' with the Borzoi device and a printed-price jacket; book-club issues are unpriced and lack that statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Radicalism of the American Revolution* by Gordon S. Wood a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-radicalism-of-the-american-revolution
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.