The points of issue
First printing in cloth with dust jacket, roughly 88 pages with colour frontispiece; novella, subtitled 'A Sojourn in Neutralia'. Note the text first appeared in abridged form in Cornhill Magazine in 1947 before the Chapman & Hall book.
Is this the true first?
London Chapman & Hall is the true first book edition (1947). US Little, Brown followed in 1949.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Scott-King's Modern Europe a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing in cloth with dust jacket, roughly 88 pages with colour frontispiece; novella, subtitled 'A Sojourn in Neutralia'. Note the text first appeared in abridged form in Cornhill Magazine in 1947 before the Chapman & Hall book.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. London Chapman & Hall is the true first book edition (1947). US Little, Brown followed in 1949.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue.
I have a first edition of Scott-King's Modern Europe — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.