# Is "The Deceiver" by Frederick Forsyth a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Deceiver by Frederick Forsyth (Bantam Press, 1991) is identified by: The UK Bantam Press hardcover (London) is the true first, in blue cloth with silver spine titling and red endpapers, in a priced pictorial dust jacket. The UK Bantam Press edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The UK Bantam Press hardcover (London) is the true first, in blue cloth with silver spine titling and red endpapers, in a priced pictorial dust jacket
- The novel is structured as four linked Sam McCready stories
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Frederick Forsyth |
| Publisher | Bantam Press |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The UK Bantam Press hardcover (London) is the true first, in blue cloth with silver spine… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The UK Bantam Press hardcover (London) is the true first, in blue cloth with silver spine titling and red endpapers, in a priced pictorial dust jacket. The novel is structured as four linked Sam McCready stories.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Bantam Press edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions are later; confirm the Bantam Press imprint and a jacket bearing the printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Deceiver* by Frederick Forsyth a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-deceiver
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.