# Is "Getting to Know the General" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Getting to Know the General by Graham Greene (The Bodley Head, 1984) is identified by: First printing of the nonfiction account of Greene's friendship with Omar Torrijos of Panama; full title 'Getting to Know the General: The Story of an Involvement.' UK Bodley Head issue in green cloth with gilt spine. The Bodley Head issued the UK first in 1984; a first Canadian edition by Lester & Orpen Dennys also appeared in 1984, and US Simon & Schuster issued the first American edition the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the nonfiction account of Greene's friendship with Omar Torrijos of Panama; full title 'Getting to Know the General: The Story of an Involvement.' UK Bodley Head issue in green cloth with gilt spine
- Publisher imprint reads The Bodley Head
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the nonfiction account of Greene's friendship with Omar Torrijos of Panama; full title 'Getting to Know the General: The… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of the nonfiction account of Greene's friendship with Omar Torrijos of Panama; full title 'Getting to Know the General: The Story of an Involvement.' UK Bodley Head issue in green cloth with gilt spine.

## Is this the true first?
The Bodley Head issued the UK first in 1984; a first Canadian edition by Lester & Orpen Dennys also appeared in 1984, and US Simon & Schuster issued the first American edition the same year. Precise precedence between the UK and Canadian issues is not firmly settled in the sources consulted.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted for the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Getting to Know the General* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/getting-to-know-the-general
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.