# Is "On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History" by Thomas Carlyle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History by Thomas Carlyle (James Fraser, 1841) is identified by: First edition, London: James Fraser, 1841 (entered at Stationers' Hall 17 June 1841), collating (viii)+393pp, reprinting the six lectures Carlyle delivered in London between 5 and 22 May 1840.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, London: James Fraser, 1841 (entered at Stationers' Hall 17 June 1841), collating (viii)+393pp, reprinting the six lectures Carlyle delivered in London between 5 and 22 May 1840
- The work was issued in the publisher's original cloth binding; because copies were heavily read, surviving first editions are frequently found rebound in contemporary or later calf or fine-binder's leather (three-quarter or full), bindings that are not original to the book
- Standard bibliographic reference: Tarr, Bibliography, 88-90
- Publisher imprint reads James Fraser
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas Carlyle |
| Publisher | James Fraser |
| Year | 1841 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, London: James Fraser, 1841 (entered at Stationers' Hall 17 June 1841), collating (viii)+393pp, reprinting the six lectures… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, London: James Fraser, 1841 (entered at Stationers' Hall 17 June 1841), collating (viii)+393pp, reprinting the six lectures Carlyle delivered in London between 5 and 22 May 1840. The work was issued in the publisher's original cloth binding; because copies were heavily read, surviving first editions are frequently found rebound in contemporary or later calf or fine-binder's leather (three-quarter or full), bindings that are not original to the book. Standard bibliographic reference: Tarr, Bibliography, 88-90.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History* by Thomas Carlyle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/on-heroes-hero-worship-and-the-heroic-in-history
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.