# Is "The Winds of War" by Herman Wouk a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Winds of War by Herman Wouk (Little, Brown and Company, 1971) is identified by: Copyright page reads "First Edition" accompanied by the Little, Brown dating code T11/71 (the T-code indicates November 1971). US Little, Brown edition is the true first; the UK edition followed from Collins in 1971.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page reads "First Edition" accompanied by the Little, Brown dating code T11/71 (the T-code indicates November 1971)
- Bound in black quarter cloth over red boards, stamped in gilt and red, with black endpapers and gilt-and-black spine lettering; the priced first-issue dust jacket should be present
- Roughly 885 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Herman Wouk |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page reads "First Edition" accompanied by the Little, Brown dating code T11/71 (the T-code indicates November 1971) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page reads "First Edition" accompanied by the Little, Brown dating code T11/71 (the T-code indicates November 1971). Bound in black quarter cloth over red boards, stamped in gilt and red, with black endpapers and gilt-and-black spine lettering; the priced first-issue dust jacket should be present. Roughly 885 pages.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown edition is the true first; the UK edition followed from Collins in 1971. With this title Wouk moved from Doubleday to Little, Brown.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions are common and are smaller and lighter, printed on cheaper bulked paper, lack the T11/71 code, and typically carry a blind-stamped mark on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Winds of War* by Herman Wouk a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-winds-of-war
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.