# Is "Playback" by Raymond Chandler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Playback by Raymond Chandler (Hamish Hamilton, 1958) is identified by: The UK Hamish Hamilton edition (1958) precedes the US Houghton Mifflin edition (1958) by roughly three months and is the true first. UK Hamish Hamilton (1958) is the true first, published ahead of the US Houghton Mifflin edition the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The UK Hamish Hamilton edition
- precedes the US Houghton Mifflin edition
- by roughly three months and is the true first
- First printing carries the printed price on the first-issue jacket and no later-printing statement
- Chandler's last completed novel
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Raymond Chandler |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The UK Hamish Hamilton edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The UK Hamish Hamilton edition (1958) precedes the US Houghton Mifflin edition (1958) by roughly three months and is the true first. First printing carries the printed price on the first-issue jacket and no later-printing statement. Chandler's last completed novel.

## Is this the true first?
UK Hamish Hamilton (1958) is the true first, published ahead of the US Houghton Mifflin edition the same year.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US book-club edition is common, with a blind-stamp and no price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Playback* by Raymond Chandler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/playback
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.