# Is "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989) is identified by: US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1989, 'A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book,' identified as a first printing by the Harcourt descending letter line with 'A' present on the copyright page; translated by William Weaver. First English-language edition of Il pendolo di Foucault (Bompiani, Milan, 1988).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1989, 'A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book,' identified as a first printing by the Harcourt descending letter line with 'A' present on the copyright page; translated by William Weaver
- The UK first was Secker & Warburg, London, 1989
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Umberto Eco |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1989, 'A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book,' identified as a first… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1989, 'A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book,' identified as a first printing by the Harcourt descending letter line with 'A' present on the copyright page; translated by William Weaver. The UK first was Secker & Warburg, London, 1989.

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition of Il pendolo di Foucault (Bompiani, Milan, 1988). The US Harcourt and UK Secker & Warburg editions both appeared in 1989 and are collected as parallel firsts; neither has clear precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions typically lack the letter line and are unpriced, often with a blind-stamped dot to the rear board; the true first is priced with the 'A' letter line present.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Foucault's Pendulum* by Umberto Eco a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/foucaults-pendulum
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.