The points of issue
First UK edition published by Hutchinson, London, 1998, stating 'First published in 1998'; blue cloth boards lettered in gilt on the spine, in the unclipped pictorial dust jacket. First printing indicated by the number sequence at the copyright page. Third and final volume of Faulks's French trilogy, following The Girl at the Lion d'Or and Birdsong.
Is this the true first?
UK Hutchinson (1998) is the true first; the US Random House edition followed in 1999. UK precedes.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Film tie-in editions (the 2001 film starred Cate Blanchett) and later printings are reprints, not the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Charlotte Gray a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK edition published by Hutchinson, London, 1998, stating 'First published in 1998'; blue cloth boards lettered in gilt on the spine, in the unclipped pictorial dust jacket. First printing indicated by the number sequence at the copyright page. Third and final volume of Faulks's French trilogy, following The Girl at the Lion d'Or and Birdsong.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Hutchinson (1998) is the true first; the US Random House edition followed in 1999. UK precedes.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Film tie-in editions (the 2001 film starred Cate Blanchett) and later printings are reprints, not the first.
I have a first edition of Charlotte Gray — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.