# Is "Putting the Boot In" by Dan Kavanagh (Julian Barnes) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Putting the Boot In by Dan Kavanagh (Julian Barnes) (Jonathan Cape, 1985) is identified by: Third Duffy novel under the Dan Kavanagh pseudonym, issued by Jonathan Cape in cloth-covered boards with gilt spine stamping in a pictorial dust jacket. UK Jonathan Cape (London), 1985, is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Third Duffy novel under the Dan Kavanagh pseudonym, issued by Jonathan Cape in cloth-covered boards with gilt spine stamping in a pictorial dust jacket
- The copyright page reads 'First published 1985' with no later impressions listed; the first impression was a small print run of 2,250 copies
- First-issue jacket should retain the original printed price on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dan Kavanagh (Julian Barnes) |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Third Duffy novel under the Dan Kavanagh pseudonym, issued by Jonathan Cape in cloth-covered boards with gilt spine stamping in a pictorial… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Third Duffy novel under the Dan Kavanagh pseudonym, issued by Jonathan Cape in cloth-covered boards with gilt spine stamping in a pictorial dust jacket. The copyright page reads 'First published 1985' with no later impressions listed; the first impression was a small print run of 2,250 copies. First-issue jacket should retain the original printed price on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape (London), 1985, is the true first edition. Cape published the Duffy books first; the subsequent title in the series, Going to the Dogs, appeared from Pantheon in New York in 1987, but a distinct US edition of Putting the Boot In is not independently confirmed here. UK-first precedence is secure.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is relevant; later impressions, if any, are stated on the copyright page rather than reading 'First published 1985' alone.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Putting the Boot In* by Dan Kavanagh (Julian Barnes) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/putting-the-boot-in
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.