# Is "Ashenden, or The British Agent" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ashenden, or The British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham (William Heinemann, 1928) is identified by: True first is the William Heinemann London edition, published March 1928; linked spy stories that proved influential on later espionage fiction. UK Heinemann (March 1928) is the true first, preceding the US Doubleday Doran edition (1928) by about a day.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the William Heinemann London edition, published March 1928; linked spy stories that proved influential on later espionage fiction
- The earliest Heinemann impression precedes a same-year second impression
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1928 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the William Heinemann London edition, published March 1928; linked spy stories that proved influential on later espionage… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the William Heinemann London edition, published March 1928; linked spy stories that proved influential on later espionage fiction. The earliest Heinemann impression precedes a same-year second impression.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann (March 1928) is the true first, preceding the US Doubleday Doran edition (1928) by about a day.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. A second Heinemann impression appeared the same year; collectors distinguish the first impression.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ashenden, or The British Agent* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ashenden-or-the-british-agent
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.