# Is "A Brief History of Time — deeper Hawking: The Universe in a Nutshell" by Stephen Hawking a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Brief History of Time — deeper Hawking: The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking (Bantam, 2001) is identified by: Copyright page carries a full number line descending to '1'. Published 2001 by Bantam (US) and Bantam Press (UK); market priority is close, so collect the US Bantam or UK Bantam Press per preference.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page carries a full number line descending to '1'
- ISBN 0-553-80202-X; heavily illustrated in color, black cloth with gilt spine lettering
- The first-issue jacket shows the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen Hawking |
| Publisher | Bantam |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page carries a full number line descending to '1' |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page carries a full number line descending to '1'. ISBN 0-553-80202-X; heavily illustrated in color, black cloth with gilt spine lettering. The first-issue jacket shows the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
Published 2001 by Bantam (US) and Bantam Press (UK); market priority is close, so collect the US Bantam or UK Bantam Press per preference. A separate title from A Brief History of Time.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue of note; the usual confusion is later printings whose number line no longer descends to 1. The full number line to '1' plus the priced first-issue jacket identify the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Brief History of Time — deeper Hawking: The Universe in a Nutshell* by Stephen Hawking a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-brief-history-of-time-deeper-hawking-the-universe-in-a-nut
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.