# Is "The Top of the Hill" by Irwin Shaw a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Top of the Hill by Irwin Shaw (Delacorte Press, 1979) is identified by: First printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed. US Delacorte edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed
- Delacorte of this era used a stated First printing line rather than a number row
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Irwin Shaw |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed. Delacorte of this era used a stated First printing line rather than a number row.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte edition is the true first. The UK first was published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson in 1979 (corrected from New English Library, which issued the later UK paperback).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club printings are common and lack the First printing statement; they are typically identified by a blind-stamped mark on the rear board and an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Top of the Hill* by Irwin Shaw a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-top-of-the-hill
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.