Gambit (novel) - Publication History

Publication History

• 1962, New York: The Viking Press, October 12, 1962, hardcover

In his limited-edition pamphlet, Collecting Mystery Fiction #10, Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Part II, Otto Penzler describes the first edition of Gambit: "Blue cloth, front cover and spine printed with red; rear cover blank. Issued in a red, white and black dust wrapper."

In April 2006, Firsts: The Book Collector's Magazine estimated that the first edition of Gambit had a value of between $150 and $300. The estimate is for a copy in very good to fine condition in a like dustjacket.

• 1962, Toronto: Macmillan, 1962, hardcover
• 1963, New York: Viking (Mystery Guild), January 1963, hardcover

The far less valuable Viking book club edition may be distinguished from the first edition in three ways:

• The dust jacket has "Book Club Edition" printed on the inside front flap, and the price is absent (first editions may be price clipped if they were given as gifts).
• Book club editions are sometimes thinner and always taller (usually a quarter of an inch) than first editions.
• Book club editions are bound in cardboard, and first editions are bound in cloth (or have at least a cloth spine).

• 1963, London: Collins Crime Club, April 29, 1963, hardcover
• 1964, New York: Bantam #F2731, February 1964, paperback
• 1965, London: Panther, August 1965, paperback
• 1971, London: Fontana, 1971, paperback
• 1985, New York: Bantam Books ISBN 0-553-14646-7 September 1985, paperback
• 2005, Auburn, California: The Audio Partners Publishing Corp., Mystery Masters ISBN 1-57270-441-1 January 2005, audio CD (unabridged, read by Michael Prichard)
• 2011, New York: Bantam ISBN 978-0-307-76805-6 August 17, 2011, e-book