# Is "The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling by Lawrence Block (Random House, 1979) is identified by: Copyright page states First Edition with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (no 1 present on Random House firsts of this era). US Random House edition is the true first; third Burglar novel; Nero Wolfe Award winner.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states First Edition with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (no 1 present on Random House firsts of this era)
- Priced dust jacket on the true first
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states First Edition with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (no 1… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states First Edition with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (no 1 present on Random House firsts of this era). Priced dust jacket on the true first.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House edition is the true first; third Burglar novel; Nero Wolfe Award winner.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the priced jacket and generally carry a rear-board blindstamp with no number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-burglar-who-liked-to-quote-kipling
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.