# Is "Wind, Sand and Stars" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (Editions Gallimard, Paris, 1939) is identified by: First American / first English-language edition: Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1939 (trade published 20 June 1939), translated by Lewis Galantière. The original-language French first is 'Terre des hommes,' Éditions Gallimard, Paris, February 1939 (Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American / first English-language edition: Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1939 (trade published 20 June 1939), translated by Lewis Galantière
- The true first US issue is the signed, numbered limited edition of 500 copies, which precedes the trade issue; the trade first is in quarter black cloth over blue patterned cloth boards with gilt lettering to front and spine, with pictorial endpapers and duotone illustrations by John O'Hara Cosgrave II (306 pp.), in a priced jacket (price present at the flap)
- A first printing shows no statement of a later printing
- Publisher imprint reads Editions Gallimard, Paris
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Antoine de Saint-Exupery |
| Publisher | Editions Gallimard, Paris |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American / first English-language edition: Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1939 (trade published 20 June 1939), translated by Lewis… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First American / first English-language edition: Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1939 (trade published 20 June 1939), translated by Lewis Galantière. The true first US issue is the signed, numbered limited edition of 500 copies, which precedes the trade issue; the trade first is in quarter black cloth over blue patterned cloth boards with gilt lettering to front and spine, with pictorial endpapers and duotone illustrations by John O'Hara Cosgrave II (306 pp.), in a priced jacket (price present at the flap). A first printing shows no statement of a later printing.

## Is this the true first?
The original-language French first is 'Terre des hommes,' Éditions Gallimard, Paris, February 1939 (Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française). The English 'Wind, Sand and Stars' (Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, June 1939) is NOT a straight translation: Saint-Exupéry cut passages and added new material written for the American audience, so the French and English are two substantially different texts — both are collected. Within the US edition, the signed 500-copy limited issue is the earliest state, ahead of the trade.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The true first US issue is the signed/numbered limited edition of 500 copies; unsigned copies are the trade issue. Later Reynal & Hitchcock trade printings and the many mid-century reissues follow the 1939 first — check for the absence of any later-printing notice on the copyright page.

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