The first edition of this classic James A. Michener book was published by Macmillan in 1947. It was 326 pages long, and the original retail price was $3.00. The first edition can be identified by the following points: "First Printing" is stated on the top of the copyright page. Printed by "THE VAIL-BALLOU PRESS INC." is stated on the bottom of the copyright page. Book is bound in orange-beige cloth, with letters on spine stamped in blue. The dust jacket carries a $3.00 price on the front flap and the illustratorís name on the front cover.
Tales of the South Pacific book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
To find the market value for this book, click on the pre-filled eBay, AbeBooks, or Biblio links to the right and look for comparable listings that have all of these first edition points.
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 | This is the first edition dust jacket with the illustrator's name (J.OM. Cosgrave II) credited vertically on the front. |
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 | The $3.00 price can be horizontally at the bottom of the dust jacket front flap, or vertically at the top of the dust jacket front flap. The vertical price at the top seems to be a bit more rare.
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 | The first and second printing boards (like the one on the left) have no art work on the front. The third printing boards (like the one on the right) are a darker red, and have a design similar to the dust jacket. This design is sometimes seen on later printings and reprints as well.
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 | This special autographed limited edition was published a few years after the true first edition. It was limited to 1,500 copies. |
 | This page is from the special autographed limited edition. It was published by MacMillan to mark the golden anniversary of the American Booksellers Association. |
 | This is the signature page from the special autographed limited edition. |
