Andrew - can't speak for the original, but the BTL version was red and orange and was perfect bound. But, I was not on 11x17 - it must have been printed on A3 paper, as copying was always a little funny (maybe it was on traditional 'green bar' size 14 7/8 x 11 - I don't remember - but my copy of the original was on US 11x17).
Ordering it originally was difficult. I remember that we tried to order a copy for Tektronix in the summer/fall of 1979 because I had my n-th generation xerographic copy that I had brought from CMU and Tek wanted to legitimate copy. IIRC, I wrote the PO request and it bounced back from Tek purchasing because it had been denied by somebody at AT&T. We had to call the right person (Al Arms if memory serves me), and then I had the restart on the Tek side, but we did eventually get an official version - which as on my desk for a few years [Of course, we immediately made more copies -- I think I made them for Steve Glaser, Mike Zuhl, Ward Cunningham and possibly Jon if he did not yet have a copy from his BTL days].
When I left Tek I gave the original Tektronix copy of the two books to Terry Laskodi. I have wondered what happened to that copy after he tragically died in the early 1980s. I fear it was tossed by someone that had no idea what its value was.
Clem