# Is "Night Over Water" by Ken Follett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Night Over Water by Ken Follett (William Morrow, 1991) is identified by: New York: William Morrow and Company, 1991. US William Morrow first edition, 1991, published in the same year as the UK Macmillan edition (Macmillan London, 1991); no clear precedence is established between the two, so each is treated as a first in its own market.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New York: William Morrow and Company, 1991
- The first American printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carries a full number line beginning with 1
- Bound in light-brown and black quarter cloth boards with gilt spine stamping, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain the printed price to the front flap for a true first-issue jacket
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ken Follett |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New York: William Morrow and Company, 1991 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New York: William Morrow and Company, 1991. The first American printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carries a full number line beginning with 1. Bound in light-brown and black quarter cloth boards with gilt spine stamping, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain the printed price to the front flap for a true first-issue jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US William Morrow first edition, 1991, published in the same year as the UK Macmillan edition (Macmillan London, 1991); no clear precedence is established between the two, so each is treated as a first in its own market.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies show a blind stamp to the rear board, use cheaper bulked paper and a smaller trim, carry no printed jacket price, and omit both the 'First Edition' statement and the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Night Over Water* by Ken Follett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/night-over-water
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.