# Is "A Man of the People" by Chinua Achebe a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Man of the People by Chinua Achebe (William Heinemann, 1966) is identified by: First edition, Heinemann, London, 1966. Heinemann London 1966 is the true first English edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Heinemann, London, 1966
- Red cloth with gilt lettering to the spine; dust jacket unclipped with the original price to the front flap
- The Heinemann London printing is the established first English edition
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Chinua Achebe |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Heinemann, London, 1966 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, Heinemann, London, 1966. Red cloth with gilt lettering to the spine; dust jacket unclipped with the original price to the front flap. The Heinemann London printing is the established first English edition.

## Is this the true first?
Heinemann London 1966 is the true first English edition. The first US edition (John Day, New York, 1966, mango-colored cloth, the printed price jacket) appeared the same year and is collected as the first American edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
African Writers Series paperback and later printings are reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Man of the People* by Chinua Achebe a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-man-of-the-people
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.