# Is "A History of the World in 10½ Chapters" by Julian Barnes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A History of the World in 10½ Chapters by Julian Barnes (Jonathan Cape, 1989) is identified by: London: Jonathan Cape, 1989 (32 Bedford Square; ISBN 0-224-02669-0). The UK Jonathan Cape edition (1989) is the true first, preceding the US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Jonathan Cape, 1989 (32 Bedford Square
- ISBN 0-224-02669-0)
- Boards, gilt spine; first-issue dust jacket priced to the flap and unclipped
- Title page states 'First published 1989' for the first printing
- The book includes a colour plate of Géricault's 'The Raft of the Medusa' facing page 124
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Julian Barnes |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Jonathan Cape, 1989 (32 Bedford Square |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
London: Jonathan Cape, 1989 (32 Bedford Square; ISBN 0-224-02669-0). Boards, gilt spine; first-issue dust jacket priced to the flap and unclipped. Title page states 'First published 1989' for the first printing. The book includes a colour plate of Géricault's 'The Raft of the Medusa' facing page 124.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape edition (1989) is the true first, preceding the US Alfred A. Knopf edition (also 1989).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add impression statements. Note: the Géricault colour plate is present in all editions (UK and North American), so it is NOT a point that distinguishes the first printing — rely on the 'First published 1989' statement and Cape imprint instead.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A History of the World in 10½ Chapters* by Julian Barnes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-history-of-the-world-in-10-chapters
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.