Gravity’s Rainbow was published by Viking Press on 28 February 1973. The first edition is identified by the Viking colophon on the title page, “First published in 1973” on the copyright page, and the price of $15.00 on the front flap. The dust jacket, designed by Joseph del Gaudio, features a stylised rainbow arc over a rocket trajectory.
Collecting Notes
Unsigned first editions in fine condition with dust jacket typically trade between $3,000 and $8,000. The book’s physical bulk (760 pages) means that copies with uncracked spines and bright jacket colours are prized. Signed copies are essentially unicorns — confirmed examples number fewer than ten and last traded at six figures.