# Is "War Trash" by Ha Jin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of War Trash by Ha Jin (Pantheon Books, 2004) is identified by: Pantheon Books hardcover, 2004 (ISBN 0375422765). The US Pantheon hardcover (2004) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pantheon Books hardcover, 2004 (ISBN 0375422765)
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete Random House/Pantheon number line, and the dust jacket carries the printed price
- Pantheon is a Random House imprint, so the line follows the post-2002 Random House style
- Publisher imprint reads Pantheon Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ha Jin |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pantheon Books hardcover, 2004 (ISBN 0375422765) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Pantheon Books hardcover, 2004 (ISBN 0375422765). First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a complete Random House/Pantheon number line, and the dust jacket carries the printed price. Pantheon is a Random House imprint, so the line follows the post-2002 Random House style.

## Is this the true first?
The US Pantheon hardcover (2004) is the true first. It won the 2005 PEN/Faulkner Award, Ha Jin's second.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition lacks the stated first-edition line, is typically smaller, and has an unpriced dust jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *War Trash* by Ha Jin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/war-trash
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.