The points of issue
Cloth; published by the University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, for the Institute of Early American History and Culture (ISBN 0-8078-1489-X); first-state dust jacket priced and not clipped.
Is this the true first?
US University of North Carolina Press (Chapel Hill) is the true first. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1983.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The later W. W. Norton paperback (ISBN 0-393-95693-1) is a reprint, not the first edition; no separate book-club issue is documented.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Cloth; published by the University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, for the Institute of Early American History and Culture (ISBN 0-8078-1489-X); first-state dust jacket priced and not clipped.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US University of North Carolina Press (Chapel Hill) is the true first. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1983.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The later W. W. Norton paperback (ISBN 0-393-95693-1) is a reprint, not the first edition; no separate book-club issue is documented.
I have a first edition of The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790 — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.