# Is "Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany" by Stephen E. Ambrose a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose (Simon & Schuster, 1997) is identified by: Simon & Schuster first printing, 512 pages, ISBN 0-684-81525-7, bound in blue paper-covered boards under a pictorial dust jacket. US true first; Simon & Schuster was the original publisher of this American author's work.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster first printing, 512 pages, ISBN 0-684-81525-7, bound in blue paper-covered boards under a pictorial dust jacket
- The first printing shows the staggered Simon & Schuster number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (the lowest numeral 1 is present, denoting the first printing)
- The first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; the presence of the price, not its amount, is the point
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen E. Ambrose |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster first printing, 512 pages, ISBN 0-684-81525-7, bound in blue paper-covered boards under a pictorial dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster first printing, 512 pages, ISBN 0-684-81525-7, bound in blue paper-covered boards under a pictorial dust jacket. The first printing shows the staggered Simon & Schuster number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (the lowest numeral 1 is present, denoting the first printing). The first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; the presence of the price, not its amount, is the point.

## Is this the true first?
US true first; Simon & Schuster was the original publisher of this American author's work.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club and other club printings lack the printed jacket price and typically show a blind-stamp to the rear board; they are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany* by Stephen E. Ambrose a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/citizen-soldiers-the-us-army-from-the-normandy-beaches-to-th
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.