# Is "Wind, Sand and Stars (Terre des hommes)" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wind, Sand and Stars (Terre des hommes) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Reynal & Hitchcock, 1939) is identified by: First American trade edition: Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1939, translated by Lewis Galantière; octavo, 306 pp., with pictorial endpapers by John O'Hara Cosgrave II. The true first of the work is the French 'Terre des hommes,' Gallimard, Paris, 1939.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American trade edition: Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1939, translated by Lewis Galantière; octavo, 306 pp., with pictorial endpapers by John O'Hara Cosgrave II. Binding is half black cloth (black cloth spine, title in gilt) with blue patterned paper-covered boards and the top edge stained blue; the first printing shows no additional printings/impressions stated on the copyright page
- In the U.S. the trade issue (released June 20, 1939) was preceded by a signed limited edition of 500 copies, which is the first English-language printing
- The dust jacket has the price present at the flap (priced jacket)
- Publisher imprint reads Reynal & Hitchcock
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Antoine de Saint-Exupéry |
| Publisher | Reynal & Hitchcock |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American trade edition: Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1939, translated by Lewis Galantière; octavo, 306 pp., with pictorial endpapers… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American trade edition: Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1939, translated by Lewis Galantière; octavo, 306 pp., with pictorial endpapers by John O'Hara Cosgrave II. Binding is half black cloth (black cloth spine, title in gilt) with blue patterned paper-covered boards and the top edge stained blue; the first printing shows no additional printings/impressions stated on the copyright page. In the U.S. the trade issue (released June 20, 1939) was preceded by a signed limited edition of 500 copies, which is the first English-language printing. The dust jacket has the price present at the flap (priced jacket).

## Is this the true first?
The true first of the work is the French 'Terre des hommes,' Gallimard, Paris, 1939. The English text is not a straight translation — Saint-Exupéry revised and added material for the American audience — so the Reynal & Hitchcock 'Wind, Sand and Stars' is collected as the first edition of that distinct English text; both the French original and the English edition are collected. The signed limited of 500 is the first English-language printing, preceding the Reynal & Hitchcock trade edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book-of-the-Month Club selection (July 1939). The club issue is typically unpriced at the jacket flap and usually carries a small blindstamped device to the lower rear board, whereas the first trade issue has the price present at the flap; use price-at-flap as the primary tell.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wind, Sand and Stars (Terre des hommes)* by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wind-sand-and-stars-terre-des-hommes
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.