First Edition Points and Criteria for Dragon's Teeth

Year Published: 1942
Author Last Name: Sinclair
Author First Name: Upton
Publisher: Viking
Original Price: $3.00
Pages: 631

The first printing states "FIRST PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 1942" on the copyright page. There should be no other printing statements. Boards are red cloth with silver lettering and publisher's logo on the front. The first printing of Dragon's Teeth was probably less than 10,000. We base this on a printing statement from A World to Win where it says that by 1946, the total amount printed of Dragon's Teeth including later printings and book club editions was 49,174.

There is also a self-published advance copy. The book itself looks similar to the Viking first printing, but it lacks the Viking logo on the front board, and the title page states "Published by the Author, New York City and Pasadena, California". The advance edition dust jacket lacks the Viking logo on the spine, and states that it is published by the author on the back panel. The advance edition dust jacket also lacks a price on the front flap (see photos).

Dragon's Teeth won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.


Picture of the 1942 first edition dust jacket for Dragon's Teeth.


Picture of the first edition copyright page for Dragon's Teeth.


Picture of dust jacket where original $3.00 price is found for Dragon's Teeth.


Picture of the back dust jacket for the first edition of Dragon's Teeth.


Picture of the first edition Viking boards for Dragon's Teeth.


Picture of the back dust jacket flap for the first edition of Dragon's Teeth.


Picture of the first edition title page for Dragon's Teeth.


Back, spine, and front of dust jacket. Thank you James Cahill/Rare Books, Inc.


Back, spine, and front of the advance edition dust jacket. (Thank you PBA Galleries). Notice that the jacket is nearly identical to the first edition, but it lacks the Viking Logo on the spine, and it says "PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR" on the bottom of the back panel.


This is the top of the front flap from the advance edition dust jacket. It lacks the $3.00 price. Otherwise, the front and back flaps are identical to the first edition flaps. (Thanks PBA Galleries)


On the left is the first edition. On the right is the advance edition, which was self published. The advance copy looks like the first edition but it does not have the Viking logo.


The advance copy states that it was published by the Author.


This is a pre-order slip for Dragon's Teeth. Thanks again to PBA Galleries.


This is a gift copy of Dragon's Teeth that the author distributed to friends and acquaintances. The binding is paperback with the dust jacket (including flaps) as the wrapper. Notice the statement on the top that says GIFT COPY - NOT FOR SALE.


This the back wrapper from the gift copy of Dragon's Teeth.


Autograph: Signature of Upton Sinclair.

Other first edition points for books by Upton Sinclair include: A World to Win, Presidential Agent.