# Is "The Ransom of Russian Art" by John McPhee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Ransom of Russian Art by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. US true first (FSG), hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994
- First edition, first printing identified by the FSG first-printing statement and complete number line on the copyright page
- Hardcover with priced dust jacket
- ISBN 0374246823
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John McPhee |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. First edition, first printing identified by the FSG first-printing statement and complete number line on the copyright page. Hardcover with priced dust jacket. ISBN 0374246823.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (FSG), hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No known Book Club Edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Ransom of Russian Art* by John McPhee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-ransom-of-russian-art
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.