The points of issue
Non-fiction. Black boards, spine lettered in silver with publisher's device in silver, dark-blue endpapers; full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; dust jacket priced £16.99 net.
Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape (2002) and US Talk Miramax (2002) appeared the same year, with Cape generally taken as the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions state the impression number; the first prints a full descending number line ending in 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Koba the Dread: Laughter and the Twenty Million a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Non-fiction. Black boards, spine lettered in silver with publisher's device in silver, dark-blue endpapers; full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; dust jacket priced £16.99 net.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Jonathan Cape (2002) and US Talk Miramax (2002) appeared the same year, with Cape generally taken as the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions state the impression number; the first prints a full descending number line ending in 1.
I have a first edition of Koba the Dread: Laughter and the Twenty Million — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.