[Jamestoo]

I'm just getting started in setting up my first ebook, which I'm producing on Sigil and converting to Kindle format, and viewing on the "KindleonPC" reader. ( I have a new Kindle on order, but am awaiting the release in November.)

I would like to have the cover as the first page shown by default. (My thinking is that the reader should see the cover of an ebook just as physical book cover is seen when one picks up a book to read.)

I've downloaded several ebooks from the forum to see what others have done and find that sometimes the cover does open first.

Other other equally well done publications show, for example, a title page first, with the cover only visible as an icon in the library, but after selection only seen when reader backs up the book to the cover.

My questions:

What in the epub format controls the default first page in an ebook file (If it makes any difference, which will be converted to the *. mobi format for Kindle)?

If coding this "first page" is possible, can you point me to a XHTML reference with explicit instructions for setting the default first page?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.