ðə bˈʊk kˈʌvɚ hæd tɹɐdˈɪʃənəli bˌɪn blˈuː wɪððɪ ɛksˈɛpʃən ʌv ɪt bˌiːɪŋ ɹˈɛd, wˈaɪt ænd blˈuː ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti sˈɪks dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts baɪsəntˈɛnɪəl ɔːlðˈoʊ θˈæŋks tə ðɪ ˈaɪɹɪʃ ɹˈuːts ʌv sˈɛkɹətɹi ʌv stˈeɪt dʒˈeɪmz sˈiː. kˈɜːkpɐtɹˌɪk ɪt wʌz ɡɹˈiːn fɹʌm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti nˈaɪn ʌntˈɪl hiː lˈɛft ˈɑːfɪs ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv.
The book cover had traditionally been blue (with the exception of it being red, white and blue in 1976 during the United States Bicentennial) although thanks to the Irish roots of Secretary of State James C. Kirkpatrick it was green from 1969 until he left office in 1985.