# Is "Beard's Roman Women" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Beard's Roman Women by Anthony Burgess (McGraw-Hill, 1976) is identified by: First edition, first printing: McGraw-Hill, New York, 1976 (ISBN 0-07-008960-4, roughly 155 pages), identified by a full number line on the copyright page descending to 1. US McGraw-Hill 1976 is the true first; the UK Hutchinson edition followed in 1977.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: McGraw-Hill, New York, 1976 (ISBN 0-07-008960-4, roughly 155 pages), identified by a full number line on the copyright page descending to 1
- Illustrated with photographs by David Robinson and issued in a dust jacket bearing its printed price (present on unclipped copies)
- The McGraw-Hill first precedes the UK Hutchinson edition of 1977; the novel was originally titled 'Rome in the Rain' before McGraw-Hill renamed it
- Publisher imprint reads McGraw-Hill
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | McGraw-Hill |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: McGraw-Hill, New York, 1976 (ISBN 0-07-008960-4, roughly 155 pages), identified by a full number line on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: McGraw-Hill, New York, 1976 (ISBN 0-07-008960-4, roughly 155 pages), identified by a full number line on the copyright page descending to 1. Illustrated with photographs by David Robinson and issued in a dust jacket bearing its printed price (present on unclipped copies). The McGraw-Hill first precedes the UK Hutchinson edition of 1977; the novel was originally titled 'Rome in the Rain' before McGraw-Hill renamed it.

## Is this the true first?
US McGraw-Hill 1976 is the true first; the UK Hutchinson edition followed in 1977.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue identified.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Beard's Roman Women* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/beards-roman-women
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.