# Is "On the Beach" by Nevil Shute a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of On the Beach by Nevil Shute (William Heinemann, 1957) is identified by: The recognized true first is William Heinemann (London), 1957 — collation [viii]+312 pp — in red/burgundy cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, issued in a priced dust jacket with cover art by John Rowland (Heinemann spines of this period chip easily). UK is the conventionally preferred true first: William Heinemann, London (1957).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The recognized true first is William Heinemann (London), 1957 — collation [viii]+312 pp — in red/burgundy cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, issued in a priced dust jacket with cover art by John Rowland (Heinemann spines of this period chip easily)
- The copyright leaf reads 'First published 1957' with no later-printing statement
- A first Australian edition (Heinemann, Melbourne, 1957) and the first American edition (William Morrow, New York, 1957, 320 pp) appeared the same year
- Identify by the Heinemann imprint and the clean 'First published 1957' statement
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Nevil Shute |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The recognized true first is William Heinemann (London), 1957 — collation [viii]+312 pp — in red/burgundy cloth lettered in gilt on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The recognized true first is William Heinemann (London), 1957 — collation [viii]+312 pp — in red/burgundy cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, issued in a priced dust jacket with cover art by John Rowland (Heinemann spines of this period chip easily). The copyright leaf reads 'First published 1957' with no later-printing statement. A first Australian edition (Heinemann, Melbourne, 1957) and the first American edition (William Morrow, New York, 1957, 320 pp) appeared the same year. Identify by the Heinemann imprint and the clean 'First published 1957' statement.

## Is this the true first?
UK is the conventionally preferred true first: William Heinemann, London (1957). William Morrow, New York (1957) is the first American edition and Heinemann, Melbourne (1957) the first Australian; all three carry a 1957 date and the London issue is treated as having priority. No consulted source gives Morrow priority over Heinemann, but precedence among the 1957 issues rests on convention rather than a documented day-precedence.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *On the Beach* by Nevil Shute a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/on-the-beach
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.