# Is "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" by John Godey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three by John Godey (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1973) is identified by: There is no first-edition statement and no number line to look for: Putnam's practice before 1985 was to put no statement on first editions but to note subsequent printings (Quill & Brush), so the point of issue is a clean copyright page — the first printing carries no impression or printing line at all. The census claim is confirmed as to the true first — G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- There is no first-edition statement and no number line to look for: Putnam's practice before 1985 was to put no statement on first editions but to note subsequent printings (Quill & Brush), so the point of issue is a clean copyright page — the first printing carries no impression or printing line at all
- Later trade copies state their printing outright, and dealer records for this title confirm the practice in the wild, describing copies as '3rd impression' and '3rd. printing.' Binding: publisher's blue cloth, titled in gilt to the spine, 316 pages, with subway-map endpapers
- Pictorial jacket; a first-issue jacket is a priced jacket with the price present at the flap, and clipped jackets are common
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Godey |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | There is no first-edition statement and no number line to look for: Putnam's practice before 1985 was to put no statement on first editions… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
There is no first-edition statement and no number line to look for: Putnam's practice before 1985 was to put no statement on first editions but to note subsequent printings (Quill & Brush), so the point of issue is a clean copyright page — the first printing carries no impression or printing line at all. Later trade copies state their printing outright, and dealer records for this title confirm the practice in the wild, describing copies as '3rd impression' and '3rd. printing.' Binding: publisher's blue cloth, titled in gilt to the spine, 316 pages, with subway-map endpapers. Pictorial jacket; a first-issue jacket is a priced jacket with the price present at the flap, and clipped jackets are common.

## Is this the true first?
The census claim is confirmed as to the true first — G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1973 — but it omits a UK edition that is separately collected: Hodder & Stoughton published the UK hardcover the same year (ISBN 0340175524), followed by a Coronet paperback in 1974. Godey was American and Putnam was his publisher, so US precedence is the accepted order, though no month-level date was established for either side. Caution: the Kirkus record for this title carries an anomalous 'Feb. 27, 1972' pub-date field that contradicts the universally recorded 1973 publication and should not be cited. First-thus traps: the 1974 Dell paperback, the 1974 film tie-in issue, and the later Berkley reissues.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Club printings circulate and dealers flag trade copies as 'Not a book club,' which establishes that a club issue exists — but no title-specific club collation was located in the sources consulted. Only the general tells apply: no price present at the jacket flap, a blind-stamped device to the rear board, and lighter bulk than the Putnam trade issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Taking of Pelham One Two Three* by John Godey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-taking-of-pelham-one-two-three
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.