Evelyn Waugh First Editions

• Decline and Fall — 1928 · Chapman & HallChapman & Hall London 1928, Waugh's first novel. First issue includes Waugh's own illustrations and the subtitle 'An Illustrated Novelette.' Some early printings were censored; the first issue retains certain passages. Pictorial jacket and cloth. Chapman & Hall London 1928 is the true first; the US Doubleday Doran 1929 is the first US. The author's illustrations are integral to the first. Later impressions and US edition distinguished by imprint and date; reprints often omit or alter the original illustration suite.
• Rossetti: His Life and Works — 1928 · DuckworthDuckworth (London) 1928 — Waugh's first commercially published book, appearing April 1928, months before Decline and Fall (September 1928). The first impression is bound in maroon cloth with gilt spine lettering, in a cream/buff printed dust wrapper, and illustrated with eight monochrome plates; the first-impression verso carries no 'Second/Third impression' notice. Duckworth reprinted rapidly — a second…. UK Duckworth (London) 1928 is the true first; the Dodd, Mead (New York) 1928 issue is the American edition, produced for the US market around the centenary of Rossetti's birth. Note the 'first book' trap: Rossetti is Waugh's first commercially published (and first full-length) book, but he was preceded in print by privately printed items, notably his Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood essay (1926, an edition of about…. Second impression (October 1928) and third impression (December 1928, from the plates) exist; only the un-noted first impression is the first printing. Dodd, Mead 1928 is the American issue, not a book club.
• Labels: A Mediterranean Journal — 1930 · DuckworthFirst edition, first impression, published by Duckworth, London, in 1930. Waugh's first travel book, an account of a Mediterranean cruise. Octavo, 206 pages, with a frontispiece after a drawing by Waugh, a double-page route map, a sketch map of Port Said, and seven monochrome photographic plates. Bound in dark blue cloth, the spine lettered in gilt, and issued in a pictorial dust jacket (scarce and fragile). A…. UK Duckworth 1930 is the true first. The US edition was published by Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith in 1930 under the title A Bachelor Abroad. American edition was retitled A Bachelor Abroad; not a book-club issue. The signed deluxe issue of 110 copies is a distinct limited state, not a reprint.
• Vile Bodies — 1930 · Chapman & HallLondon: Chapman & Hall, 1930. The verso of the title leaf carries 'First published 1930' with no later impression statement. Black cloth, spine lettered in gilt. First-issue dust jacket priced the printed price to the spine, with the rear-panel list of titles ending at Jeffery's 'Second Choice'; jackets are scarce. The UK Chapman & Hall edition (1930) is the true first, preceding the US Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith edition of the same year. Later impressions add an impression or 'reprinted' statement to the title verso.
• Remote People — 1931 · DuckworthFirst edition, first impression, published by Duckworth, London, in 1931. Travel narrative of Waugh's journey to Abyssinia for the coronation of Haile Selassie and onward through East and Central Africa. Retitled They Were Still Dancing in the United States. UK Duckworth 1931 is the true first. The US edition was published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1932 as They Were Still Dancing. American edition was retitled They Were Still Dancing. A single dealer listing claims a 1931 US printing, but standard bibliographies record the US first as Farrar & Rinehart 1932; treat any earlier US date with caution.
• Black Mischief — 1932 · Chapman & HallFirst trade edition published by Chapman & Hall, London, in 1932. A signed limited issue of 250 large-paper copies was also produced, signed on the limitation leaf and containing additional illustrations by the author not present in the trade edition. UK Chapman & Hall 1932 is the true first. The signed limited issue of 250 large-paper copies is the premium form. The US edition was published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1932. Distinction is between the ordinary trade printing and the signed limited large-paper issue of 250 copies.
• A Handful of Dust — 1934 · Chapman & HallLondon: Chapman & Hall, 1934. 'First published in 1934' on the title verso. Bound not in plain cloth but in the distinctive black-and-red snakeskin-patterned cloth, spine lettered in gilt, with a frontispiece of Hetton by J. D. M. Harvey. First-issue pictorial dust jacket printed in black and red. The UK Chapman & Hall edition (1934) precedes the US Farrar & Rinehart edition (1934). The US serial/book version carries an alternate ending different from the UK book text. Later printings add an impression statement to the title verso.
• Ninety-Two Days — 1934 · DuckworthFirst edition, first impression, published by Duckworth, London, in 1934. Travel account of Waugh's journey through British Guiana and Brazil; complete copies include twenty-four photographic plates by the author and a folding map. UK Duckworth 1934 is the true first. The US edition was published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1934. No book-club issue.
• Edmund Campion — 1935 · Longmans, GreenFirst edition, first impression, published by Longmans, Green, London, in 1935. Waugh's biography of the Elizabethan Jesuit martyr, which won the Hawthornden Prize (awarded 1936). Collectors distinguish the first-issue dust wrapper. UK Longmans, Green 1935 is the true first. The first American edition appeared in 1946 (Little, Brown, Boston), not in 1935; the record's claim of a US Sheed & Ward 1935 edition is incorrect. The 1946 American edition carries a new preface and revised text and drops the original 1935 footnotes and bibliography, so it differs substantively from the UK first.
• Mr. Loveday's Little Outing and Other Sad Stories — 1936 · Chapman & HallFirst edition, first impression, published by Chapman & Hall, London, in 1936. Waugh's first collection of short fiction, gathering eleven stories. Octavo, issued in the publisher's black-and-red patterned cloth boards with the title stamped in gilt on the spine, and supplied in a printed dust wrapper. A recognized bibliographic point is the illustrated frontispiece, which is present in some copies and lacking in…. UK Chapman & Hall 1936 is the true first. The first American edition was published by Little, Brown, Boston, in October 1936 in a limited issue of 750 copies, of which 700 were for sale. No book-club issue. The US Little, Brown edition was itself a limited printing of 750 copies (700 for sale), not a trade or club run.
• Waugh in Abyssinia — 1936 · Longmans, GreenFirst printing in red cloth, gilt spine, top edge red; reportage of the Italo-Abyssinian war. A genuine point of issue exists in the dust-jacket front flap: Waugh objected to the publisher's blurb, and Longmans attempted to recall distributed copies and paste a cancel flap over the original; the uncorrected first-state flap is the scarcer form. London Longmans, Green is the true first (1936). A US Longmans, Green issue followed the same year. No book-club issue.
• Scoop — 1938 · Chapman & HallLondon: Chapman & Hall, 1938. 'First published 1938' on the title verso. Black cloth, spine lettered in gilt. First-state text has 'as' as the last word on page 88. The dust jacket exists in two first-impression states: the trompe-l'oeil newspaper masthead originally read in part 'aily Beas' (echoing the Daily Express); after Lord Beaverbrook objected, the masthead was restruck blank. The UK Chapman & Hall edition (1938) precedes the US Little, Brown edition (1938). Later printings add an impression statement to the title verso.
• Robbery Under Law — 1939 · Chapman & HallFirst printing in original blue-grey canvas cloth, black spine titling; full UK title and subtitle 'Robbery Under Law: The Mexican Object-Lesson'. Travel/politics on the Cardenas-era nationalization and persecution of Catholics in Mexico. London Chapman & Hall is the true first (published June 1939). The first American edition followed from Little, Brown (Boston, 1939) under the changed title 'Mexico: An Object Lesson'. US edition retitled 'Mexico: An Object Lesson' (Little, Brown). A Catholic Book Club reprint appeared in 1940.
• Put Out More Flags — 1942 · Chapman & HallFirst edition, Chapman and Hall, London, 1942, Waugh's sixth novel, printed on wartime-economy paper. Publisher's mottled grey cloth lettered black to the spine, top edge stained navy-blue; octavo, approximately 256 pages, with 'First published 1942' to the verso. Issued in the pictorial dust jacket priced 8/- to the front flap. Dedicated to Randolph Churchill. London Chapman and Hall is the true first (1942). US Little, Brown followed in 1942. No book-club issue; identification rests on the 1942 Chapman and Hall imprint, wartime-economy paper, grey mottled cloth, navy top edge, and the 8/- priced pictorial jacket.
• Work Suspended: Two Chapters of an Unfinished Novel — 1942 · Chapman & HallFirst edition limited to 500 copies, published 21 December 1942; red cloth gilt-lettered to spine. The unfinished-novel fragment; many copies are author presentation copies inscribed at Christmas 1942. London Chapman & Hall 1942 limited issue of 500 is the true first. A revised and expanded version later appeared in 'Work Suspended and Other Stories' (1948). Scarce limited issue; no separate trade first edition.
• Brideshead Revisited — 1945 · Chapman & HallChapman & Hall London 1945. There was also a small privately-printed 1944 issue of about 50 copies for the author's friends, which technically precedes. The 1945 trade first is in the standard Chapman & Hall cloth; later Waugh revised the text (1960), so the 1945 text is the unrevised first. The privately printed 1944 issue (c. 50 copies) precedes the 1945 trade edition and is the true first; Chapman & Hall 1945 is the first trade/UK edition. Little, Brown Boston 1946 is the first US. The 1960 revised edition is a separate textual state. US Little, Brown 1946 and all reprints carry different imprints/dates; the 1960 revised text is distinct. Book club editions lack the 1945 first-issue points.
• When the Going Was Good — 1946 · DuckworthFirst printing in yellow cloth, with colour frontispiece portrait of Waugh (after Henry Lamb) and a fold-out map; first-thus collection drawn from the 1930s travel books Labels, Remote People, Ninety-Two Days and Waugh in Abyssinia. A separate large-paper deluxe issue of 20 copies on hand-made paper also exists. London Duckworth is the true first (1946). US Little, Brown followed in 1947. Compilation; no book-club issue.
• Scott-King's Modern Europe — 1947 · Chapman & HallFirst printing in cloth with dust jacket, roughly 88 pages with colour frontispiece; novella, subtitled 'A Sojourn in Neutralia'. Note the text first appeared in abridged form in Cornhill Magazine in 1947 before the Chapman & Hall book. London Chapman & Hall is the true first book edition (1947). US Little, Brown followed in 1949. No book-club issue.
• The Loved One — 1948 · Little, BrownBoston: Little, Brown and Company, 1948. First American edition, subtitled 'An Anglo-American Tragedy', in grey cloth with the spine lettered in green and a Samuel Bryant dust jacket. This is the first edition in book form. The text first appeared in the US magazine Horizon (February 1948) before any book edition. Precedence is corrected: the US Little, Brown edition (1948) is the first edition in book form, preceded only by the Horizon magazine appearance (February 1948). The English Chapman & Hall edition followed later in 1948. The earlier claim that the UK edition is generally collected as the first is not correct for this title. The Horizon magazine printing precedes both book editions; among books, the Little, Brown edition has priority over the English Chapman & Hall edition.
• Work Suspended and Other Stories — 1949 · Chapman & HallFirst edition of this collection, in navy-blue cloth with dust jacket, 239 pages. Gathers the revised Work Suspended fragment with eight other pre-war stories including Mr Loveday's Little Outing, Cruise, An Englishman's Home, and Excursion in Reality. This is the first appearance of the assembled collection. The novella Work Suspended was first issued alone by Chapman & Hall in 1942 in a limited printing. The 1949 Chapman & Hall volume is the true first edition of the expanded collection with the other stories added, and is the first-thus. No book-club issue.
• Helena — 1950 · Chapman & HallFirst printing, in navy cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with dust jacket. Historical novel, Waugh's personal favorite among his works. A large-paper signed issue of about 50 copies on handmade paper, specially bound, was also produced and given as presentation copies. UK Chapman & Hall is the true first (October 1950); the US Little, Brown edition followed in 1950. Book-club printings appeared later.
• Men at Arms — 1952 · Chapman & HallFirst edition, first impression published by Chapman & Hall, London, 1952, in publisher's blue cloth with the spine stamped in gilt and top edges stained blue; 314 pages. Volume one of the Sword of Honour trilogy. Issued in a dust jacket designed by Val Biro, which should carry the printed price on the front flap. Awarded the 1952 James Tait Black Memorial Prize. The UK Chapman & Hall edition (blue cloth, 314 pp.) is the true first; the US Little, Brown edition, Boston, 1952, follows and is distinguishable by its red cloth, red dust wrapper, and 342-page collation. Book-club printings appeared later; the first impression is identified by the Chapman & Hall imprint, blue cloth, and gilt spine.
• The Holy Places — 1952 · Queen Anne PressLimited edition of 950 copies with wood engravings by Reynolds Stone, designed by Robert Harling. Of the total 950, the first 50 copies were specially bound and signed by both author and artist. Two essays on pilgrimage. Title set in Perpetua, text in Pilgrim, printed on mould-made paper. UK Queen Anne Press limited edition is the true first. It was the only product of Waugh's collaboration with the Ian Fleming-managed Queen Anne Press. Issued only as the limited edition; scarce.
• Love Among the Ruins — 1953 · Chapman & HallFirst edition is a signed limited issue of 350 numbered copies (300 for sale, 50 reserved for the author), signed by Waugh, in gilt-stamped red cloth over beveled boards with top edge gilt and untrimmed edges, with decorations partly by the author. Dystopian satirical novella; 49 to 51 pages. UK Chapman & Hall is the true first. The genuine first is the numbered, signed limitation of 350 copies; a later 1953 trade printing without the limitation followed. First edition issued only as the 350-copy signed limitation; a later unlimited printing exists.
• Officers and Gentlemen — 1955 · Chapman & HallFirst printing in blue publisher's cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 335 pages, with dust jacket designed by Val Biro with its printed price on the front flap. Volume two of the Sword of Honour trilogy. UK Chapman & Hall is the true first; the US Little, Brown edition followed in 1955. Book-club printings appeared later.
• The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold — 1957 · Chapman & HallFirst edition, first printing, published July 1957. The full title on the title page reads The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold: A Conversation Piece. Issued in blue cloth with a pictorial dust jacket. Waugh's largely autobiographical novel of his bromide-induced hallucinations. Chapman & Hall (London) is the true first. A US edition followed from Little, Brown in 1957. Book-club reprints appeared later and are distinct from the trade first; no club issue precedes the Chapman & Hall first.
• The Life of the Right Reverend Ronald Knox — 1959 · Chapman & HallFirst edition, first printing, Chapman & Hall 1959. Full title-page reads The Life of the Right Reverend Ronald Knox, Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford and Pronotary Apostolic to His Holiness Pope Pius XII. A separate small deluxe issue of 29 copies was printed for presentation by the author. Chapman & Hall (London) is the true first. The US edition from Little, Brown (1959) carries the title Monsignor Ronald Knox. US edition retitled Monsignor Ronald Knox; no book-club issue precedes the UK first.
• A Tourist in Africa — 1960 · Chapman & HallFirst edition, first printing, Chapman & Hall 1960. Octavo in blue cloth with gilt spine title, in pictorial dust jacket; frontispiece plus eight pages of photographic plates. Waugh's last travel book, a diary of an East African tour. Chapman & Hall (London) is the true first. A US edition followed from Little, Brown in 1960. No book-club issue.
• Unconditional Surrender — 1961 · Chapman & HallFirst edition, first printing, Chapman & Hall, London, 1961, with the copyright page stating "First published 1961." Bound in publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with the top edge stained navy. The dust jacket was designed by Biro and shows the printed net price on the unclipped copy (the jacket spine is often lightly sunned). Third and final volume of the Sword of Honour trilogy. The US edition…. Chapman & Hall (London) 1961 is the true first, taking precedence as the original publication. The US Little, Brown edition, retitled The End of the Battle, also bears a 1961 date; sources describe the two as close to simultaneous within 1961, with the British title as the original. US edition retitled The End of the Battle. No club issue precedes the UK first.
• Basil Seal Rides Again — 1963 · Chapman & HallIssued only as a signed limited edition: 750 copies from Chapman & Hall (London) and 1000 copies from Little, Brown (US), each signed by Waugh on the limitation page. Full title Basil Seal Rides Again, or The Rake's Regress; blue cloth, gilt, with a color frontispiece by Kathleen Hale. First book appearance of a story first printed in Esquire and the Sunday Telegraph. Waugh's last published fiction. Both the UK Chapman & Hall (750 copies) and US Little, Brown (1000 copies) issues are signed limited editions published in 1963; neither precedes the other as a single 'true first' trade edition. Limited issue only; no trade or book-club edition.
• A Little Learning — 1964 · Chapman & HallFirst edition, first printing, Chapman & Hall 1964. Full title A Little Learning: The First Volume of an Autobiography. The only completed volume of Waugh's autobiography, covering childhood through Oxford and schoolmastering; illustrated with photographs and drawings. Chapman & Hall (London) is the true first. A US edition followed from Little, Brown in 1964. No book-club issue.

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