# Is "American Tabloid" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of American Tabloid by James Ellroy (Knopf, 1995) is identified by: First hardcover, Alfred A. US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First hardcover, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1995. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon with the number line ending in 1
- Bound in red paper-covered boards over black quarter cloth with gilt spine lettering
- First-state dust jacket designed by Chip Kidd, with the original printed price present on the front flap; a first-printing copy should carry an unclipped, priced jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First hardcover, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1995. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon with the number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First hardcover, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1995. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon with the number line ending in 1. Bound in red paper-covered boards over black quarter cloth with gilt spine lettering. First-state dust jacket designed by Chip Kidd, with the original printed price present on the front flap; a first-printing copy should carry an unclipped, priced jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Alfred A. Knopf true first, published 1995; first novel of the Underworld USA Trilogy (followed by The Cold Six Thousand and Blood's a Rover). Named a Time Best Book of 1995.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book club edition to confuse with the first. Confirm the 'First Edition' statement and the Borzoi colophon on the copyright page, and the red-boards/black-quarter-cloth binding under the Chip Kidd jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *American Tabloid* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/american-tabloid
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.