# Is "T. S. Eliot: A Life" by Peter Ackroyd a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of T. S. Eliot: A Life by Peter Ackroyd (Hamish Hamilton, 1984) is identified by: Biography in hardcover; boards with gilt-lettered spine; copyright page reads 'First published 1984' (ISBN 0241113490, 400 pages); original priced dust jacket. The UK Hamish Hamilton 1984 hardcover, titled 'T.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Biography in hardcover; boards with gilt-lettered spine; copyright page reads 'First published 1984' (ISBN 0241113490, 400 pages); original priced dust jacket
- The UK title on the title page is simply 'T. S. Eliot'
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Biography in hardcover; boards with gilt-lettered spine; copyright page reads 'First published 1984' (ISBN 0241113490, 400 pages); original… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Biography in hardcover; boards with gilt-lettered spine; copyright page reads 'First published 1984' (ISBN 0241113490, 400 pages); original priced dust jacket. The UK title on the title page is simply 'T. S. Eliot'.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton 1984 hardcover, titled 'T. S. Eliot', is the true first. The 'A Life' subtitle belongs to the US Simon & Schuster 1984 edition ('T. S. Eliot: A Life'), which followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions state the impression on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *T. S. Eliot: A Life* by Peter Ackroyd a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/t-s-eliot-a-life
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.