# Is "Whistle" by James Jones a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Whistle by James Jones (Delacorte Press, 1978) is identified by: Delacorte trade first printing states 'First Delacorte Press printing' / 'First Printing' on the copyright page and is bound in light brown boards with a dark brown spine gilt-stamped on the spine; roughly 452 pages with rough-cut edges. A leatherbound Franklin Library edition, privately printed for members of the First Edition Society by arrangement with Delacorte and issued with a separate 'Notes from the Editors' pamphlet, appeared in 1978 and precedes the Delacorte trade printing; the Delacorte 1978 hardcover is the true first trade edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Delacorte trade first printing states 'First Delacorte Press printing' / 'First Printing' on the copyright page and is bound in light brown boards with a dark brown spine gilt-stamped on the spine; roughly 452 pages with rough-cut edges
- Published posthumously, the final three chapters were completed from Jones's notes and conversations by his editor Willie Morris
- Third novel of the army war trilogy following From Here to Eternity and The Thin Red Line
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its original printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Jones |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Delacorte trade first printing states 'First Delacorte Press printing' / 'First Printing' on the copyright page and is bound in light brown… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Delacorte trade first printing states 'First Delacorte Press printing' / 'First Printing' on the copyright page and is bound in light brown boards with a dark brown spine gilt-stamped on the spine; roughly 452 pages with rough-cut edges. Published posthumously, the final three chapters were completed from Jones's notes and conversations by his editor Willie Morris. Third novel of the army war trilogy following From Here to Eternity and The Thin Red Line. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its original printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
A leatherbound Franklin Library edition, privately printed for members of the First Edition Society by arrangement with Delacorte and issued with a separate 'Notes from the Editors' pamphlet, appeared in 1978 and precedes the Delacorte trade printing; the Delacorte 1978 hardcover is the true first trade edition. A UK Collins edition also followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the stated 'First Printing' line and are distinct from the trade first; they typically use cheaper boards and lack the printed jacket price. The gilt-decorated, all-edges-gilt Franklin Library issue is a separate leatherbound printing, not the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Whistle* by James Jones a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/whistle
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.