# Is "1776" by David McCullough a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of 1776 by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, 2005) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' with a complete Simon & Schuster number line reading 10 down to 1 on the copyright page, and a price-present dust jacket. US true first is the 2005 Simon & Schuster trade hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' with a complete Simon & Schuster number line reading 10 down to 1 on the copyright page, and a price-present dust jacket
- A separate abridged illustrated edition (with slipcase and facsimile document inserts) was issued by Simon & Schuster in 2007 and is not the true first
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David McCullough |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First Edition' with a complete Simon & Schuster number line reading 10 down to 1 on the copyright page, and a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First Edition' with a complete Simon & Schuster number line reading 10 down to 1 on the copyright page, and a price-present dust jacket. A separate abridged illustrated edition (with slipcase and facsimile document inserts) was issued by Simon & Schuster in 2007 and is not the true first.

## Is this the true first?
US true first is the 2005 Simon & Schuster trade hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 2007 illustrated edition is a later, abridged, differently formatted issue, not a first printing; confirm the full number line ending in 1 to distinguish a first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *1776* by David McCullough a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/1776
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.