# Is "The Tree Where Man Was Born" by Peter Matthiessen a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tree Where Man Was Born by Peter Matthiessen (E. P. Dutton, 1972) is identified by: Dutton & Co., New York, 1972, with color photographs by Eliot Porter. US Dutton (New York) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, 1972, with color photographs by Eliot Porter
- The first printing is identified by the first-printing statement on the copyright page and a priced first-state dust jacket on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads E. P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Matthiessen |
| Publisher | E. P. Dutton |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, 1972, with color photographs by Eliot Porter |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, 1972, with color photographs by Eliot Porter. The first printing is identified by the first-printing statement on the copyright page and a priced first-state dust jacket on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Dutton (New York) is the true first. The book was a National Book Award finalist.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Confirm the copyright-page first-printing statement; book-club issues lack the jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tree Where Man Was Born* by Peter Matthiessen a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tree-where-man-was-born
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.