All the King's Men

by Warren, Robert Penn

All the King's Men is a novel by Robert Penn Warren, first published in 1946. The novel's title is drawn from the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty. In 1947 Warren won the Pulitzer Prize for All the King's Men. It was adapted for film in 1949 and 2006; the 1949 version won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

First edition identification

Harcourt, Brace, and Company first published All the King’s Men in 1946. Bound in red cloth, the 464-page first edition states “First Edition” on the copyright page. The first edition dust jacket states the original price of $3.00 along with a Sinclair Lewis blurb on the back.

Other Collectible or Notable Editions

Eyre & Spottiswoode published the first UK edition of All the King’s Men in London in 1948. Bound in black cloth, this edition has gilt stamping on the spine and its original dust jacket is blue and white.

In 2001, Harcourt published a “Restored Edition” of All the King’s Men, edited by Noel Polk, a professor of American Literature at the University of Southern Mississippi. This edition names the politician Willie Talos, as was originally intended. Other edits include more foul narration and the merging of chapters four and five into a single chapter.

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