# Is "D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II" by Stephen E. Ambrose a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II by Stephen E. Ambrose (Simon & Schuster, 1994) is identified by: Simon & Schuster first printing, published 1994, 655 pages, bound in black cloth over red papered boards with the spine lettered and ruled in silver, 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, published 1994, 655 pages, bound in black cloth over red papered boards with the spine lettered and ruled in silver, 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 | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster first printing, published 1994, 655 pages, bound in black cloth over red papered boards with the spine lettered and ruled… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster first printing, published 1994, 655 pages, bound in black cloth over red papered boards with the spine lettered and ruled in silver, 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 often show a blind-stamp on the rear board; they are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II* by Stephen E. Ambrose a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/d-day-june-6-1944-the-climactic-battle-of-world-war-ii
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.