# Is "The Cold Six Thousand" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Cold Six Thousand by James Ellroy (Knopf, 2001) is identified by: First hardcover, Alfred A. US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First hardcover, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2001. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon with the number line ending in 1
- Quarter-bound in black paper over burgundy boards with gilt spine lettering, the author's initials blind-stamped to the front board, and a deckle fore-edge
- First-state photographic dust jacket (black-and-white early-Vegas image) with the original printed price present on the front flap; a first printing should carry an unclipped, priced jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First hardcover, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2001. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon with the number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First hardcover, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2001. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon with the number line ending in 1. Quarter-bound in black paper over burgundy boards with gilt spine lettering, the author's initials blind-stamped to the front board, and a deckle fore-edge. First-state photographic dust jacket (black-and-white early-Vegas image) with the original printed price present on the front flap; a first printing should carry an unclipped, priced jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Alfred A. Knopf true first, published 2001; second novel of the Underworld USA Trilogy. Issued as a hardcover original.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book club edition of concern. Confirm the 'First Edition' statement and Borzoi colophon on the copyright page, and the black-over-burgundy binding with blind-stamped initials and deckle fore-edge.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Cold Six Thousand* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-cold-six-thousand
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.