# Is "The Troubled Air" by Irwin Shaw a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Troubled Air by Irwin Shaw (Random House, 1951) is identified by: First printing carries a stated 'First Printing' on the copyright page. US Random House first; the Jonathan Cape London edition followed in 1951.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries a stated 'First Printing' on the copyright page
- Octavo, 418 pages, cloth over boards with top edge stained black and black endpapers
- His McCarthy-era novel set in the live-radio industry
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Irwin Shaw |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries a stated 'First Printing' on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing carries a stated 'First Printing' on the copyright page. Octavo, 418 pages, cloth over boards with top edge stained black and black endpapers. His McCarthy-era novel set in the live-radio industry.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House first; the Jonathan Cape London edition followed in 1951.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings state the printing history; the first printing does not.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Troubled Air* by Irwin Shaw a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-troubled-air
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.