# Is "A Vision of Battlements" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Vision of Battlements by Anthony Burgess (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1965) is identified by: First printing, London 1965, in yellow cloth with black spine lettering, illustrated by Edward Pagram. UK Sidgwick & Jackson is the true first; the US Norton edition followed in 1966.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, London 1965, in yellow cloth with black spine lettering, illustrated by Edward Pagram
- Written in 1949, this was Burgess's earliest-composed novel though published later
- The UK Sidgwick & Jackson edition precedes the US W. W. Norton edition of 1966
- Publisher imprint reads Sidgwick & Jackson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | Sidgwick & Jackson |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, London 1965, in yellow cloth with black spine lettering, illustrated by Edward Pagram |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing, London 1965, in yellow cloth with black spine lettering, illustrated by Edward Pagram. Written in 1949, this was Burgess's earliest-composed novel though published later. The UK Sidgwick & Jackson edition precedes the US W. W. Norton edition of 1966.

## Is this the true first?
UK Sidgwick & Jackson is the true first; the US Norton edition followed in 1966.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Vision of Battlements* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-vision-of-battlements
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.