# Is "Crash" by J.G. Ballard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Crash by J.G. Ballard (Jonathan Cape, 1973) is identified by: First UK edition, Jonathan Cape, 1973, in the publisher's blue buckram boards, octavo, issued in the first-issue dust jacket carrying Bill Botten's wraparound design. The Cape 1973 UK edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Jonathan Cape, 1973, in the publisher's blue buckram boards, octavo, issued in the first-issue dust jacket carrying Bill Botten's wraparound design
- The jacket should retain its printed price and be unclipped for a first issue
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.G. Ballard |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Jonathan Cape, 1973, in the publisher's blue buckram boards, octavo, issued in the first-issue dust jacket carrying Bill… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Jonathan Cape, 1973, in the publisher's blue buckram boards, octavo, issued in the first-issue dust jacket carrying Bill Botten's wraparound design. The jacket should retain its printed price and be unclipped for a first issue.

## Is this the true first?
The Cape 1973 UK edition is the true first. The Farrar, Straus and Giroux US edition also appeared in 1973; UK precedence is the standard cataloguing position. Distinguish the US issue by its FSG imprint and American jacket price.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition for the first issue; later film-tie-in editions are reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Crash* by J.G. Ballard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/crash
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.