# Is "The Sporting Club" by Thomas McGuane a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sporting Club by Thomas McGuane (Simon & Schuster, 1968) is identified by: McGuane's first novel. The US Simon & Schuster edition is the true first, published in 1968 (not 1969).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- McGuane's first novel
- Simon & Schuster first printing with First Edition stated on the copyright page; jacket designed by Paul Bacon, with the original price unclipped on the front flap
- Octavo, approximately 220 pp
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas McGuane |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | McGuane's first novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
McGuane's first novel. Simon & Schuster first printing with First Edition stated on the copyright page; jacket designed by Paul Bacon, with the original price unclipped on the front flap. Octavo, approximately 220 pp.

## Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster edition is the true first, published in 1968 (not 1969). The UK first edition followed from Chapman & Hall.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club reprints lack the original flap price and the stated First Edition; verify against the Simon & Schuster first-printing copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sporting Club* by Thomas McGuane a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sporting-club
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.