It was not unusual in the 70s and 80s to send a book to multiple printing houses. It does have a blind stamp on the back cover that normally indicates a BCE but all first editions of Space have a blind stamp- in this case indicating which printer issued this book that had a large first printing. This book has the $17.95 price point on the DJ. First edition, first printing with First Edition stated and number line that starts with 2 per Random House practice at the time. 'An engrossing and informative novel based on the activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration'. Binding is Navy (kind of a very dark midnight blue) with JAM (gilt dots between letters) on upper front panel spine: title, author name in box upper spine and Random House & logo at bottom spine all lettering/logos/decorations gold gilt.

It is price intact with a just a bit of edgewear. The near fine dust jacket is clean and bright. There is a blindstamp on the rear binding, (not a small book club indentation but the larger printer's mark-there were so many firsts printing of this period of Michener's books that several printers did them, so there are different marks to identify the printer some circles, some squares this one is a square 5/8' across). Book is near fine (clean, straight & tight, bound in dark blue cloth with gilt lettering endpapers are illustrated with maps).

Space james michener first edition