Dell, 1976 cover
Cover of the Dell, 1976 edition of this book. The Hutchinson 1977 jacket has not been photographed yet.
Identification points are listed only where two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 28 Oct 2026.
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Doubleday first published Roots in New York in 1976. The first British edition is the Hutchinson hardback, London, April 1977, ISBN 0 09 129680 3, of 688 pages. Dealers sell it as a first edition, first printing in its dust wrapper; check the copyright page for any reprint line. The Picador paperback of 1978 is a later British edition.
Read the full guide to Hutchinson first editions, decade by decade, and check your copy's copyright page against it. Our number line decoder reads the printing from the row of numbers.
We have not yet confirmed the issue points that tell this first impression from later ones. Until we do, compare your copy's title page and copyright page with the publisher, place and year above: any later printing or edition statement means it is not this one.
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The cover image shows this book but may not be this edition or printing.
Hutchinson, London, in 1977, in hardback.
Points of issue are listed only where at least two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 28 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →7 min readTo identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
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