The points of issue
First English edition, translated by Sam Hileman: Ivan Obolensky cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1960. Translation of 'La región más transparente.' Note the unusual US publisher (Ivan Obolensky / McDowell, Obolensky).
Is this the true first?
The true first edition is the Spanish 'La región más transparente' (Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City, 1958). The 1960 Ivan Obolensky is the first English-language edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Farrar/Noonday and Dalkey Archive paperbacks are reprints, not the Obolensky cloth first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Where the Air Is Clear a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English edition, translated by Sam Hileman: Ivan Obolensky cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1960. Translation of 'La región más transparente.' Note the unusual US publisher (Ivan Obolensky / McDowell, Obolensky).
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. The true first edition is the Spanish 'La región más transparente' (Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City, 1958). The 1960 Ivan Obolensky is the first English-language edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Farrar/Noonday and Dalkey Archive paperbacks are reprints, not the Obolensky cloth first.
I have a first edition of Where the Air Is Clear — 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.