# Is "A Touch of Death" by Charles Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Touch of Death by Charles Williams (Gold Medal Books, 1953) is identified by: True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #s725 (1953). Paperback is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #s725
- Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it
- Gold Medal logo and number; first printing carries the original price and no later-printing line
- Publisher imprint reads Gold Medal Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Williams |
| Publisher | Gold Medal Books |
| Year | 1953 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #s725 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Gold Medal #s725 (1953). Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Gold Medal logo and number; first printing carries the original price and no later-printing line.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback is the true first. Charles Williams was a quintessential Gold Medal PBO author; nearly all his early titles are paperback firsts.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Distinguish the Gold Medal first printing from later Fawcett printings (higher price, printing statement).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Touch of Death* by Charles Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-touch-of-death
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.