The points of issue
London: Jonathan Cape, 1 December 1998. Booker Prize winner. Bound in original black cloth boards with the title lettered in silver to the spine, crimson endpapers (not gilt-lettered boards). A number line ending in 1 on the copyright page indicates the first printing. The first-state dust jacket is priced at fourteen pounds ninety-nine pence net and does NOT mention the Booker Prize on the front panel, since the win was announced after publication; later-state jackets add the Booker reference.
Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape (1998) is the true first, preceding the US Nan A. Talese/Doubleday (1998).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the 1 from the number line; later-state jackets add the Booker Prize mention.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Amsterdam a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: London: Jonathan Cape, 1 December 1998. Booker Prize winner. Bound in original black cloth boards with the title lettered in silver to the spine, crimson endpapers (not gilt-lettered boards). A number line ending in 1 on the copyright page indicates the first printing. The first-state dust jacket is priced at fourteen pounds ninety-nine pence net and does NOT mention the Booker Prize on the front panel, since the win was announced after publication; later-state jackets add the Booker reference.
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 Jonathan Cape (1998) is the true first, preceding the US Nan A. Talese/Doubleday (1998).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings drop the 1 from the number line; later-state jackets add the Booker Prize mention.
I have a first edition of Amsterdam — 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.