# Is "Wicked Water" by MacKinlay Kantor a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wicked Water by MacKinlay Kantor (Random House, 1949) is identified by: Random House first edition, identified by 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page; this notation is removed on later printings. US first edition; published by Random House.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House first edition, identified by 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page; this notation is removed on later printings
- Subtitle 'An American Primitive.' Copyright 1948, first released in the United States January 1949
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | MacKinlay Kantor |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House first edition, identified by 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page; this notation is removed on later printings |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House first edition, identified by 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page; this notation is removed on later printings. Subtitle 'An American Primitive.' Copyright 1948, first released in the United States January 1949.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition; published by Random House. Dealers describe the first as 'First Edition; First Printing.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints exist and omit the stated 'FIRST EDITION' line; book-club and later issues are reported, so confirm the stated-first notation.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wicked Water* by MacKinlay Kantor a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wicked-water
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.