The points of issue
Light blue boards backed in navy cloth with silver spine lettering. Copyright page carries a full number line reading down to 1. First-state dust jacket designed by Wendell Minor with the price intact on the front flap. Illustrated; roughly 1100 pages.
Is this the true first?
US Simon & Schuster (New York) true first, 1992. Won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1993.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue is smaller, unpriced, and bears a blind-stamp to the rear board; it lacks the full number line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Truman a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Light blue boards backed in navy cloth with silver spine lettering. Copyright page carries a full number line reading down to 1. First-state dust jacket designed by Wendell Minor with the price intact on the front flap. Illustrated; roughly 1100 pages.
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 Simon & Schuster (New York) true first, 1992. Won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1993.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club issue is smaller, unpriced, and bears a blind-stamp to the rear board; it lacks the full number line.
I have a first edition of Truman — 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.