The points of issue
First printing of the eleventh (penultimate) volume of A Dance to the Music of Time. Issued in publisher's cloth with dust jacket. This volume won the W. H. Smith Literary Award.
Is this the true first?
The Heinemann London edition of 1973 is the true first. The US edition was published by Little, Brown in 1973 and follows the UK first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later book-club and reprint-society printings followed the trade first and are not the first edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Temporary Kings a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing of the eleventh (penultimate) volume of A Dance to the Music of Time. Issued in publisher's cloth with dust jacket. This volume won the W. H. Smith Literary Award.
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. The Heinemann London edition of 1973 is the true first. The US edition was published by Little, Brown in 1973 and follows the UK first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later book-club and reprint-society printings followed the trade first and are not the first edition.
I have a first edition of Temporary Kings — 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.