# Is "Colonel Sun" by Robert Markham (Kingsley Amis) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Colonel Sun by Robert Markham (Kingsley Amis) (Jonathan Cape, 1968) is identified by: Jonathan Cape, London, published 28 March 1968. The census claim stands: the UK Jonathan Cape edition of 28 March 1968 is the true first, preceding the first American edition — Harper & Row, New York, May 1968 — by roughly two months.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Jonathan Cape, London, published 28 March 1968
- The first printing carries no additional printing or impression listed on the copyright page, where the Cape quad device appears
- Publisher's black cloth with gilt titling to the spine
- Dust jacket illustrated by Tom Adams — his impressionistic design showing a giant ear on a beach — marking the handover from Richard Chopping, who had illustrated the Fleming jackets
- Priced jacket: the price is present at the front flap
- The title page credits "Robert Markham"
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Markham (Kingsley Amis) |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Jonathan Cape, London, published 28 March 1968 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Jonathan Cape, London, published 28 March 1968. The first printing carries no additional printing or impression listed on the copyright page, where the Cape quad device appears. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titling to the spine; 255 pp. Dust jacket illustrated by Tom Adams — his impressionistic design showing a giant ear on a beach — marking the handover from Richard Chopping, who had illustrated the Fleming jackets. Priced jacket: the price is present at the front flap. The title page credits "Robert Markham"; Amis's own name does not appear on the first edition, so a copy crediting Kingsley Amis on the title page or jacket is a later edition or reissue, not the first.

## Is this the true first?
The census claim stands: the UK Jonathan Cape edition of 28 March 1968 is the true first, preceding the first American edition — Harper & Row, New York, May 1968 — by roughly two months. Both are collected, the Cape having clear precedence, and the Harper & Row is properly catalogued as the first American edition. This is the first James Bond continuation novel published after Ian Fleming's death in 1964.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No specific named book-club printing was documented in the sources consulted. The practical risk on this title is later impressions rather than club copies: the novel sold very heavily in Britain — reportedly more than 500,000 copies worldwide by 1980 — so later Cape impressions are common and are identified by the impression notice added to the copyright page, which must be checked. Generic club tells otherwise apply: no price present at the jacket flap, blind stamp or dot to the rear board, lighter bulk.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Colonel Sun* by Robert Markham (Kingsley Amis) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/colonel-sun
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.