# Is "Flame Into Being: The Life and Work of D.H. Lawrence" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Flame Into Being: The Life and Work of D.H. Lawrence by Anthony Burgess (Heinemann, 1985) is identified by: First edition, William Heinemann, London, 1985, hardcover; a biographical and critical study issued to mark the centenary of D.H. UK Heinemann 1985 is the accepted true first; the first American edition was Arbor House, New York, 1985.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, William Heinemann, London, 1985, hardcover; a biographical and critical study issued to mark the centenary of D.H. Lawrence's birth
- The UK Heinemann edition precedes (or is contemporaneous with) the first American edition, Arbor House, New York, 1985 (276 pp., ISBN 0-87795-766-5)
- Publisher imprint reads Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, William Heinemann, London, 1985, hardcover; a biographical and critical study issued to mark the centenary of D.H.… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, William Heinemann, London, 1985, hardcover; a biographical and critical study issued to mark the centenary of D.H. Lawrence's birth. The UK Heinemann edition precedes (or is contemporaneous with) the first American edition, Arbor House, New York, 1985 (276 pp., ISBN 0-87795-766-5).

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann 1985 is the accepted true first; the first American edition was Arbor House, New York, 1985. Both bear the 1985 date; distinguish by imprint.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Flame Into Being: The Life and Work of D.H. Lawrence* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/flame-into-being-the-life-and-work-of-dh-lawrence
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.