The points of issue
First edition, first impression, published by Longmans, Green, London, in 1935. Waugh's biography of the Elizabethan Jesuit martyr, which won the Hawthornden Prize (awarded 1936). Collectors distinguish the first-issue dust wrapper.
Is this the true first?
UK Longmans, Green 1935 is the true first. The first American edition appeared in 1946 (Little, Brown, Boston), not in 1935; the record's claim of a US Sheed & Ward 1935 edition is incorrect.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1946 American edition carries a new preface and revised text and drops the original 1935 footnotes and bibliography, so it differs substantively from the UK first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Edmund Campion a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first impression, published by Longmans, Green, London, in 1935. Waugh's biography of the Elizabethan Jesuit martyr, which won the Hawthornden Prize (awarded 1936). Collectors distinguish the first-issue dust wrapper.
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 Longmans, Green 1935 is the true first. The first American edition appeared in 1946 (Little, Brown, Boston), not in 1935; the record's claim of a US Sheed & Ward 1935 edition is incorrect.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The 1946 American edition carries a new preface and revised text and drops the original 1935 footnotes and bibliography, so it differs substantively from the UK first.
I have a first edition of Edmund Campion — 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.