# Is "Books: A Memoir" by Larry McMurtry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Books: A Memoir by Larry McMurtry (Simon & Schuster, 2008) is identified by: Simon & Schuster first printing, New York, 2008, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, issued in a dust jacket that should retain its original printed flap price. True first US edition of the memoir is the Simon & Schuster trade printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster first printing, New York, 2008, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, issued in a dust jacket that should retain its original printed flap price
- Memoir of McMurtry's life in the antiquarian book trade, 259 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry McMurtry |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster first printing, New York, 2008, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, issued in a dust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster first printing, New York, 2008, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, issued in a dust jacket that should retain its original printed flap price. Memoir of McMurtry's life in the antiquarian book trade, 259 pages.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of the memoir is the Simon & Schuster trade printing. A separate signed, numbered issue of 100 copies was produced for Three Dog Books, McMurtry's Archer City shop, bearing an ink-stamp limitation statement signed by the author; it is a distinct limited state rather than the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition concern; confirm the number line terminates in 1 on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Books: A Memoir* by Larry McMurtry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/books-a-memoir
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.