# Is "Arrow of God" by Chinua Achebe a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe (William Heinemann, 1964) is identified by: First edition, first impression, Heinemann, London, 1964. Heinemann London 1964 is the true first edition, carrying the original unrevised text.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first impression, Heinemann, London, 1964
- Publisher's dark blue cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine and a blind-stamped publisher's device to the rear cover; issued in an unclipped pictorial dust jacket
- This 1964 text is the original, unrevised state
- Achebe revised the novel for a 1974 edition, making the 1974 text a distinct 'first thus.'
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Chinua Achebe |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first impression, Heinemann, London, 1964 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first impression, Heinemann, London, 1964. Publisher's dark blue cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine and a blind-stamped publisher's device to the rear cover; issued in an unclipped pictorial dust jacket. This 1964 text is the original, unrevised state; Achebe revised the novel for a 1974 edition, making the 1974 text a distinct 'first thus.'

## Is this the true first?
Heinemann London 1964 is the true first edition, carrying the original unrevised text. The US edition (John Day) followed in 1967. The revised edition of 1974 is the first appearance of the revised text. Arrow of God completes the African Trilogy after Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The African Writers Series paperback and the 1974 revised edition are later or first-thus issues. Distinguish the 1964 original text from the 1974 revision.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Arrow of God* by Chinua Achebe a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/arrow-of-god
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.