The points of issue
First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 8 October 1942; developed from the Ballard Matthews Lectures of 1941; original cloth in dust jacket; title page dated 1942 with no reprint statement on the verso (Oxford's frequent later impressions list their reprint dates).
Is this the true first?
UK Oxford true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Oxford reprints are common and identify themselves on the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Preface to Paradise Lost a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 8 October 1942; developed from the Ballard Matthews Lectures of 1941; original cloth in dust jacket; title page dated 1942 with no reprint statement on the verso (Oxford's frequent later impressions list their reprint dates).
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Oxford true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Oxford reprints are common and identify themselves on the copyright page.
I have a first edition of A Preface to Paradise Lost — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.