# Is "Glide Path" by Arthur C. Clarke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Glide Path by Arthur C. Clarke (Harcourt, Brace & World, 1963) is identified by: US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1963, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page — the firm's consistent practice from 1960 to 1970 — and no later-printing statement present. US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1963, 'First edition' stated on the copyright page.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1963, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page — the firm's consistent practice from 1960 to 1970 — and no later-printing statement present
- Issued in cloth with a dust jacket bearing the printed price
- Clarke's only non-science-fiction novel, drawing on his wartime radar service
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace & World
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur C. Clarke |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1963, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page — the firm's consistent practice from… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1963, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page — the firm's consistent practice from 1960 to 1970 — and no later-printing statement present. Issued in cloth with a dust jacket bearing the printed price. Clarke's only non-science-fiction novel, drawing on his wartime radar service.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt, Brace & World first edition, 1963, 'First edition' stated on the copyright page. A UK edition followed later from Sidgwick & Jackson (ISBN 0283986123); the Harcourt is the US first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition: typically a blind-stamped device on the rear board and a jacket without a printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Glide Path* by Arthur C. Clarke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/glide-path
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.