# Is "The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 1)" by Lloyd Alexander a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 1) by Lloyd Alexander (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964) is identified by: First printing states First Edition on the copyright page (Holt convention) with no later-printing line, in original cloth with the first-issue jacket retaining the original price. The US Holt, Rinehart and Winston 1964 edition is the true first; the UK edition is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states First Edition on the copyright page (Holt convention) with no later-printing line, in original cloth with the first-issue jacket retaining the original price
- First of the five Chronicles of Prydain
- Publisher imprint reads Holt, Rinehart and Winston
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lloyd Alexander |
| Publisher | Holt, Rinehart and Winston |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing states First Edition on the copyright page (Holt convention) with no later-printing line, in original cloth with the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states First Edition on the copyright page (Holt convention) with no later-printing line, in original cloth with the first-issue jacket retaining the original price. First of the five Chronicles of Prydain.

## Is this the true first?
The US Holt, Rinehart and Winston 1964 edition is the true first; the UK edition is later. The jacket art is by Evaline Ness.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions omit the First Edition statement, carry a blind-stamp to the rear board, and have a price-clipped or unpriced jacket. Later printings note additional printings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 1)* by Lloyd Alexander a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-book-of-three-the-chronicles-of-prydain-book-1
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.