The points of issue
Large non-fiction volume in hardcover boards with gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket priced accordingly; includes plates. UK first issued under ISBN 1856197166.
Is this the true first?
The UK Chatto & Windus edition of 2000 is the true first and precedes the US edition (Nan A. Talese / Doubleday, 2001).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions and the illustrated/paperback issues are reprints and do not precede the Chatto & Windus first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of London: The Biography a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Large non-fiction volume in hardcover boards with gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket priced accordingly; includes plates. UK first issued under ISBN 1856197166.
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. The UK Chatto & Windus edition of 2000 is the true first and precedes the US edition (Nan A. Talese / Doubleday, 2001).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions and the illustrated/paperback issues are reprints and do not precede the Chatto & Windus first.
I have a first edition of London: The Biography — 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.