# Is "Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West" by Stephen E. Ambrose a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose (Simon & Schuster, 1996) is identified by: Simon & Schuster first printing with the full number line present (the line ends in 1). US true first; Simon & Schuster was the original publisher of this American author's work.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster first printing with the full number line present (the line ends in 1)
- The true first state carries the printer's error 'salt port' for 'salt pork' at page 134, line 1, corrected in later printings
- Tan boards with tan cloth spine, gilt spine lettering; first-issue dust jacket carries the publisher's price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen E. Ambrose |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster first printing with the full number line present (the line ends in 1) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster first printing with the full number line present (the line ends in 1). The true first state carries the printer's error 'salt port' for 'salt pork' at page 134, line 1, corrected in later printings. Tan boards with tan cloth spine, gilt spine lettering; first-issue dust jacket carries the publisher's price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US true first; Simon & Schuster was the original publisher of this American author's work.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club and other club printings lack a printed jacket price and often bear a blind-stamp on the rear board; not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West* by Stephen E. Ambrose a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/undaunted-courage-meriwether-lewis-thomas-jefferson-and-the
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.