# Is "Prince Caspian" by C. S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) (Geoffrey Bles, 1951) is identified by: UK first: Geoffrey Bles, London, 1951, illustrated by Pauline Baynes. The UK Geoffrey Bles edition is the true first, preceding the US Macmillan edition issued the same year (1951).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK first: Geoffrey Bles, London, 1951, illustrated by Pauline Baynes
- The true first is identified by the absence of any reprint or impression notation on the verso of the title page (this period uses no number line; the dated title page plus a clean verso indicates the first printing)
- First-issue jacket advertises only the Narnia titles published to date
- Publisher imprint reads Geoffrey Bles
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C. S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | UK first: Geoffrey Bles, London, 1951, illustrated by Pauline Baynes |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK first: Geoffrey Bles, London, 1951, illustrated by Pauline Baynes. The true first is identified by the absence of any reprint or impression notation on the verso of the title page (this period uses no number line; the dated title page plus a clean verso indicates the first printing). First-issue jacket advertises only the Narnia titles published to date.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Geoffrey Bles edition is the true first, preceding the US Macmillan edition issued the same year (1951).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add an impression statement to the verso, and the jacket title-list of other Narnia books lengthens with subsequent printings. The US Macmillan edition is a distinct publication, not the UK first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Prince Caspian* by C. S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/prince-caspian
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.