# Is "Orthodoxy" by G.K. Chesterton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton (John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1908) is identified by: The true first is the London John Lane, The Bodley Head edition, whose title page is dated MCMIX (1909) even though the book was actually printed 25 September 1908 in a run of 5,310 copies (Sullivan 13) — the date discrepancy is the key trap, because the '1909' title page marks the first edition, not a reprint. Recognized true first is the London Bodley Head edition (title page MCMIX/1909, printed Sept 1908, Sullivan 13); the New York John Lane Company edition is the first American.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the London John Lane, The Bodley Head edition, whose title page is dated MCMIX
- even though the book was actually printed 25 September 1908 in a run of 5,310 copies (Sullivan 13) — the date discrepancy is the key trap, because the '1909' title page marks the first edition, not a reprint
- Binding is pale green cloth lettered in gilt and ruled in blind, top edge gilt, the fore and lower edges deckled
- The first American edition (John Lane Company, New York) appeared about the same time and confusingly carries an 1908 date; exact London-versus-New-York day precedence is not definitively settled, but the Bodley Head London printing is the recognized first edition
- Publisher imprint reads John Lane, The Bodley Head
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | G.K. Chesterton |
| Publisher | John Lane, The Bodley Head |
| Year | 1908 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the London John Lane, The Bodley Head edition, whose title page is dated MCMIX |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is the London John Lane, The Bodley Head edition, whose title page is dated MCMIX (1909) even though the book was actually printed 25 September 1908 in a run of 5,310 copies (Sullivan 13) — the date discrepancy is the key trap, because the '1909' title page marks the first edition, not a reprint. Binding is pale green cloth lettered in gilt and ruled in blind, top edge gilt, the fore and lower edges deckled. The first American edition (John Lane Company, New York) appeared about the same time and confusingly carries an 1908 date; exact London-versus-New-York day precedence is not definitively settled, but the Bodley Head London printing is the recognized first edition.

## Is this the true first?
Recognized true first is the London Bodley Head edition (title page MCMIX/1909, printed Sept 1908, Sullivan 13); the New York John Lane Company edition is the first American. Because the London title page reads 1909 while the US issue can show 1908, a buyer must not treat the earlier-looking date as the first — and the precise London/New York day-precedence is debated, though no source treats the American as the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1908-dated New York John Lane Company issue is the usual point of confusion with the London first. Later John Lane reprints followed; no book-club edition is documented for the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Orthodoxy* by G.K. Chesterton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/orthodoxy
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.