# Is "A Gun for Sale" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene (Doubleday Doran, 1936) is identified by: The true first is the US Doubleday Doran edition titled This Gun for Hire, published June 1936, in beige cloth with dark green blocking and dust jacket. The US Doubleday Doran This Gun for Hire (June 1936) precedes the UK Heinemann A Gun for Sale (July 1936) by one month and is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the US Doubleday Doran edition titled This Gun for Hire, published June 1936, in beige cloth with dark green blocking and dust jacket
- The UK Heinemann edition titled A Gun for Sale followed in July 1936 (with its printed price)
- Subtitled An Entertainment
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday Doran
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | Doubleday Doran |
| Year | 1936 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the US Doubleday Doran edition titled This Gun for Hire, published June 1936, in beige cloth with dark green blocking and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is the US Doubleday Doran edition titled This Gun for Hire, published June 1936, in beige cloth with dark green blocking and dust jacket. The UK Heinemann edition titled A Gun for Sale followed in July 1936 (with its printed price). Subtitled An Entertainment.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday Doran This Gun for Hire (June 1936) precedes the UK Heinemann A Gun for Sale (July 1936) by one month and is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US retitled This Gun for Hire; later book-club and film-tie-in printings followed.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Gun for Sale* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-gun-for-sale
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.