# Is "The Barbarous Coast" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Barbarous Coast by Ross Macdonald (Alfred A. Knopf, 1956) is identified by: Knopf (New York), 1956, with "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page and no later-printing statement. US Knopf (1956) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1956, with "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page and no later-printing statement
- The sixth Lew Archer novel and the first book published under the settled pseudonym Ross Macdonald
- Bound in patterned/decorated paper-covered boards with black spine lettering on white panels and a black Borzoi (Knopf) device to the rear board; top edge stained blue
- Issued in the first-issue pictorial dust jacket, which should retain its printed price on the front flap (price-clipping alone does not demote the jacket)
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1956, with "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page and no later-printing statement |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1956, with "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page and no later-printing statement. The sixth Lew Archer novel and the first book published under the settled pseudonym Ross Macdonald. Bound in patterned/decorated paper-covered boards with black spine lettering on white panels and a black Borzoi (Knopf) device to the rear board; top edge stained blue. Issued in the first-issue pictorial dust jacket, which should retain its printed price on the front flap (price-clipping alone does not demote the jacket).

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf (1956) is the true first edition. Kenneth Millar had published earlier under John Macdonald and John Ross Macdonald; The Barbarous Coast is the first to appear under the settled "Ross Macdonald" name.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints and later printings lack the "FIRST EDITION" statement on the copyright page and typically lack the blue-stained top edge and first-state jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Barbarous Coast* by Ross Macdonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-barbarous-coast
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.