# Is "Any Old Iron" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Any Old Iron by Anthony Burgess (Hutchinson, 1989) is identified by: First printing of the novel reworking the Excalibur legend through a Welsh-Jewish family, its fictionalised cast including Chaim Weizmann, Winston Churchill, Eamon de Valera and Stalin. The Hutchinson London edition of 1989 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the novel reworking the Excalibur legend through a Welsh-Jewish family, its fictionalised cast including Chaim Weizmann, Winston Churchill, Eamon de Valera and Stalin
- Issued by Hutchinson, London, 1989, in black boards with gilt spine lettering, running to 339 pages (ISBN 0-09-173842-3)
- First-state pictorial dust jacket with the printed price present at the lower flap (not clipped)
- Publisher imprint reads Hutchinson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the novel reworking the Excalibur legend through a Welsh-Jewish family, its fictionalised cast including Chaim Weizmann… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of the novel reworking the Excalibur legend through a Welsh-Jewish family, its fictionalised cast including Chaim Weizmann, Winston Churchill, Eamon de Valera and Stalin. Issued by Hutchinson, London, 1989, in black boards with gilt spine lettering, running to 339 pages (ISBN 0-09-173842-3). First-state pictorial dust jacket with the printed price present at the lower flap (not clipped).

## Is this the true first?
The Hutchinson London edition of 1989 is the true first. A US Random House edition also appeared in 1989 and follows the UK first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. Later Hutchinson printings and paperback formats follow the trade first and are not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Any Old Iron* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/any-old-iron
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.