# Is "Doctor Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Doctor Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party by Graham Greene (The Bodley Head, 1980) is identified by: First printing of the novella, issued by The Bodley Head in original green cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine, about 140 pages, under a dust jacket designed by Michael Harvey; the first-issue jacket carries its printed price. The Bodley Head London edition of 1980 is the accepted true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the novella, issued by The Bodley Head in original green cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine, about 140 pages, under a dust jacket designed by Michael Harvey; the first-issue jacket carries its printed price
- First impression with no statement of later printings
- Publisher imprint reads The Bodley Head
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the novella, issued by The Bodley Head in original green cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine, about 140 pages… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of the novella, issued by The Bodley Head in original green cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine, about 140 pages, under a dust jacket designed by Michael Harvey; the first-issue jacket carries its printed price. First impression with no statement of later printings.

## Is this the true first?
The Bodley Head London edition of 1980 is the accepted true first. Simon & Schuster issued the first US edition the same year, 1980, in maroon cloth with silver spine lettering; the London printing precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted for the first printing; the green Bodley Head cloth with the Michael Harvey jacket and printed price identifies the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Doctor Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/doctor-fischer-of-geneva-or-the-bomb-party
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.