# Is "Avenger" by Frederick Forsyth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Avenger by Frederick Forsyth (Bantam Press, 2003) is identified by: True UK first is the 2003 Bantam Press hardcover with dust jacket. UK Bantam Press is the true first edition; St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True UK first is the 2003 Bantam Press hardcover with dust jacket
- The US first (St
- Martin's Press, via Thomas Dunne Books, New York, 2003) shows a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, in original priced dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Frederick Forsyth |
| Publisher | Bantam Press |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True UK first is the 2003 Bantam Press hardcover with dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
True UK first is the 2003 Bantam Press hardcover with dust jacket. The US first (St. Martin's Press, via Thomas Dunne Books, New York, 2003) shows a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, in original priced dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
UK Bantam Press is the true first edition; St. Martin's Press is the first US edition, both 2003.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings lack the complete first-printing number line; verify the count descends to 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Avenger* by Frederick Forsyth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/avenger
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.