# Is "Our Man in Havana" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene (Heinemann, 1958) is identified by: London: Heinemann, 1958. The UK Heinemann edition of 1958 precedes the US Viking edition of 1958.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Heinemann, 1958. 'First published 1958' on the verso
- Original blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine; octavo, [vi], 273 pages, in the first-issue pictorial dust jacket printed on a purple ground and designed by Donald Green, retaining its printed price to the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Heinemann, 1958. 'First published 1958' on the verso |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
London: Heinemann, 1958. 'First published 1958' on the verso. Original blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine; octavo, [vi], 273 pages, in the first-issue pictorial dust jacket printed on a purple ground and designed by Donald Green, retaining its printed price to the flap.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Heinemann edition of 1958 precedes the US Viking edition of 1958.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints carry impression statements to the verso; the correct first-issue jacket is the purple Donald Green pictorial design, and many surviving copies are found price-clipped.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Our Man in Havana* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/our-man-in-havana
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.