# Is "Monstrous Regiment" by Terry Pratchett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett (Doubleday, 2003) is identified by: UK Doubleday first edition, London, dated 29 September 2003; publisher's black cloth boards lettered in gilt at the spine, 352 pages, octavo. UK Doubleday true first (late September 2003); the US HarperCollins edition followed within days in a near-simultaneous release.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Discworld 31
- UK Doubleday first edition, London, dated 29 September 2003; publisher's black cloth boards lettered in gilt at the spine, 352 pages, octavo
- The copyright-page number line runs down to 1 (full line 10 through 1); later printings drop the 1
- The first-state dust jacket carries illustration by Paul Kidby and should retain its printed cover price to the front flap (unclipped); a price should be present
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Pratchett |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Discworld 31 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Discworld 31. UK Doubleday first edition, London, dated 29 September 2003; publisher's black cloth boards lettered in gilt at the spine, 352 pages, octavo. The copyright-page number line runs down to 1 (full line 10 through 1); later printings drop the 1. The first-state dust jacket carries illustration by Paul Kidby and should retain its printed cover price to the front flap (unclipped); a price should be present.

## Is this the true first?
UK Doubleday true first (late September 2003); the US HarperCollins edition followed within days in a near-simultaneous release.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the 1 from the number line. No separate hardcover book-club issue is a point of confusion for the true first; identify by the full number line to 1 and the Doubleday imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Monstrous Regiment* by Terry Pratchett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/monstrous-regiment
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.