# Is "What Makes Sammy Run?" by Budd Schulberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg (Random House, 1941) is identified by: First edition, first printing. US first edition (Random House, New York, 1941).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing
- Published by Random House, New York, 1941
- The first printing IS stated 'First Printing' on the copyright page (title-page verso) for this title
- Octavo in two-tone navy and light-blue cloth, gilt-stamped spine and covers, gray top stain; dust jacket with the publisher's price on the flap
- Schulberg's first book
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Budd Schulberg |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1941 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing. Published by Random House, New York, 1941. The first printing IS stated 'First Printing' on the copyright page (title-page verso) for this title. Octavo in two-tone navy and light-blue cloth, gilt-stamped spine and covers, gray top stain; dust jacket with the publisher's price on the flap. Schulberg's first book.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition (Random House, New York, 1941). A UK edition was issued by Jarrolds, London, in 1941.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
First printing is explicitly stated 'First Printing' on the copyright page. A Book-of-the-Month Club edition exists; the BOMC issue lacks the 'First Printing' statement and typically shows a board blind-stamp. A first-state dust jacket carries blurbs by F. Scott Fitzgerald and John O'Hara; a later jacket state adds further blurbs on the rear panel.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *What Makes Sammy Run?* by Budd Schulberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/what-makes-sammy-run
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.