# Is "Bright Orange for the Shroud" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bright Orange for the Shroud by John D. MacDonald (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1965) is identified by: Gold Medal paperback original, 1965, catalog number d1573; the sixth Travis McGee novel, issued in pictorial wraps. Paperback original; no earlier edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gold Medal paperback original, 1965, catalog number d1573; the sixth Travis McGee novel, issued in pictorial wraps
- The first printing is identified by the absence of a date code at the foot of the final page of text and by the printed price printed on the front cover; later printings carry a date code and a raised cover price
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gold Medal paperback original, 1965, catalog number d1573; the sixth Travis McGee novel, issued in pictorial wraps |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Gold Medal paperback original, 1965, catalog number d1573; the sixth Travis McGee novel, issued in pictorial wraps. The first printing is identified by the absence of a date code at the foot of the final page of text and by the printed price printed on the front cover; later printings carry a date code and a raised cover price.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; no earlier edition. The Gold Medal wraps issue (d1573, no date code, the printed price cover price) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Gold Medal/Fawcett printings and reprints exist and are distinguished by a printed date code at the end of the text and a higher cover price; the first is the unmarked the printed price Gold Medal d1573 wraps issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bright Orange for the Shroud* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bright-orange-for-the-shroud
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.