# Is "A Preface to Paradise Lost" by C.S. Lewis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Preface to Paradise Lost by C.S. Lewis (Oxford University Press, 1942) is identified by: 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). UK Oxford true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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)
- Publisher imprint reads Oxford University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.S. Lewis |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year | 1942 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 8 October 1942; developed from the Ballard Matthews Lectures of 1941; original… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Preface to Paradise Lost* by C.S. Lewis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-preface-to-paradise-lost
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.