# Is "The Tidewater Tales: A Novel" by John Barth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tidewater Tales: A Novel by John Barth (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1987) is identified by: First printing carries the Putnam first-edition statement on the copyright page together with the complete number line, in a substantial volume of roughly 655 pages, large octavo, bound in mulberry cloth-backed boards. True first is the 1987 G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the Putnam first-edition statement on the copyright page together with the complete number line, in a substantial volume of roughly 655 pages, large octavo, bound in mulberry cloth-backed boards
- The first-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap (present, not clipped)
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Barth |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the Putnam first-edition statement on the copyright page together with the complete number line, in a substantial… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the Putnam first-edition statement on the copyright page together with the complete number line, in a substantial volume of roughly 655 pages, large octavo, bound in mulberry cloth-backed boards. The first-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap (present, not clipped).

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1987 G. P. Putnam's Sons edition, New York (ISBN 0-399-13247-3). The UK first followed from Methuen, 1988.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club issue is the later state: blind-stamped (small blind-embossed mark) to the rear board, printed on lighter bulk, with an unpriced jacket lacking the flap price of the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tidewater Tales: A Novel* by John Barth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tidewater-tales-a-novel
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.