# Is "Dr. No" by Ian Fleming a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dr. No by Ian Fleming (Jonathan Cape, 1958) is identified by: Cape first, published 31 March 1958 (Gilbert A6a); black cloth lettered in silver on the spine. UK Cape (1958) precedes the US Macmillan edition (1958), so the UK printing is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cape first, published 31 March 1958 (Gilbert A6a); black cloth lettered in silver on the spine
- The recognized first-state binding has PLAIN boards with NO dancing-girl silhouette; the silhouette (the 'Honeychile' figure, brown-stamped on the front board) was added in a later state to match the series
- The plain-board first state had a much smaller run than the silhouette state, making it the scarcer binding
- First-issue jacket (design by Pat Marriott) with its printed price, with the author's name in black on the spine; later jackets show the name in white
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ian Fleming |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cape first, published 31 March 1958 (Gilbert A6a); black cloth lettered in silver on the spine |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Cape first, published 31 March 1958 (Gilbert A6a); black cloth lettered in silver on the spine. The recognized first-state binding has PLAIN boards with NO dancing-girl silhouette; the silhouette (the 'Honeychile' figure, brown-stamped on the front board) was added in a later state to match the series. The plain-board first state had a much smaller run than the silhouette state, making it the scarcer binding. First-issue jacket (design by Pat Marriott) with its printed price, with the author's name in black on the spine; later jackets show the name in white.

## Is this the true first?
UK Cape (1958) precedes the US Macmillan edition (1958), so the UK printing is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add printing lines; reprints reset.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dr. No* by Ian Fleming a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dr-no
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.