# Is "Esprit de Corps" by Lawrence Durrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Esprit de Corps by Lawrence Durrell (Faber & Faber, 1957) is identified by: First edition, Faber and Faber, London, 1957. UK Faber 1957 is the true first; the US E.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Faber and Faber, London, 1957
- Comic sketches of diplomatic life centered on the character Antrobus, with illustrations by V. H. Drummond in the UK edition
- The UK Faber printing precedes the US E. P. Dutton edition
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Durrell |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Faber and Faber, London, 1957 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, Faber and Faber, London, 1957. Comic sketches of diplomatic life centered on the character Antrobus, with illustrations by V. H. Drummond in the UK edition. The UK Faber printing precedes the US E. P. Dutton edition.

## Is this the true first?
UK Faber 1957 is the true first; the US E. P. Dutton edition followed in 1958. The American edition adds illustrations not present in the 1957 UK first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of consequence.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Esprit de Corps* by Lawrence Durrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/esprit-de-corps
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.