# Is "The Swerve: How the World Became Modern" by Stephen Greenblatt a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt (W. W. Norton, 2011) is identified by: Back quarter black cloth with gilt spine lettering over ochre boards. US W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Back quarter black cloth with gilt spine lettering over ochre boards
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a descending number line reaching 1; the volume includes eight pages of color and black-and-white photographs
- The first-state pictorial dust jacket shows a profile detail of a Greek hero at left with an inset color portrait detail of the young woman from Botticelli's La Primavera, and the printed price should be present on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen Greenblatt |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Back quarter black cloth with gilt spine lettering over ochre boards |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Back quarter black cloth with gilt spine lettering over ochre boards. The copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a descending number line reaching 1; the volume includes eight pages of color and black-and-white photographs. The first-state pictorial dust jacket shows a profile detail of a Greek hero at left with an inset color portrait detail of the young woman from Botticelli's La Primavera, and the printed price should be present on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US W. W. Norton (New York), published September 26, 2011, is the true first edition. Won the 2011 National Book Award for Nonfiction and the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue noted; confirm the 'First Edition' statement together with the number line reaching 1 on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Swerve: How the World Became Modern* by Stephen Greenblatt a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-swerve-how-the-world-became-modern
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.