# Is "A Place of Greater Safety" by Hilary Mantel a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel (Viking, 1992) is identified by: Copyright page reads first published by Viking 1992, with an intact number line on the first impression; original black cloth lettered in silver to the spine. The UK Viking 1992 edition is the true first; the US Atheneum (1993) is a first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Viking, 1992
- Copyright page reads first published by Viking 1992, with an intact number line on the first impression; original black cloth lettered in silver to the spine
- The UK Viking 1992 edition precedes the US Atheneum edition of 1993
- Note that first-issue jackets appear with export prices in other currencies, so jacket currency is not a reliable point of issue
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Hilary Mantel |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Viking, 1992 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
London: Viking, 1992. Copyright page reads first published by Viking 1992, with an intact number line on the first impression; original black cloth lettered in silver to the spine. The UK Viking 1992 edition precedes the US Atheneum edition of 1993. Note that first-issue jackets appear with export prices in other currencies, so jacket currency is not a reliable point of issue.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Viking 1992 edition is the true first; the US Atheneum (1993) is a first-thus. Mantel's large French Revolution novel, written early in her career but published after several later works.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; distinguish the UK Viking 1992 first from the later US printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Place of Greater Safety* by Hilary Mantel a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-place-of-greater-safety
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.