The points of issue
First edition, first impression, Chatto & Windus, London, 1952; orange cloth, gilt spine lettering, frontispiece portrait of Urbain Grandier plus further plates and a bibliography. A Harper & Brothers edition also appeared in New York in 1952.
Is this the true first?
Both the London (Chatto & Windus) and New York (Harper & Brothers) editions are dated 1952; a firm priority of one country's edition over the other is not established by the standard bibliographies, so the UK edition cannot be asserted as the unambiguous true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue of the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Devils of Loudun a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first impression, Chatto & Windus, London, 1952; orange cloth, gilt spine lettering, frontispiece portrait of Urbain Grandier plus further plates and a bibliography. A Harper & Brothers edition also appeared in New York in 1952.
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. Both the London (Chatto & Windus) and New York (Harper & Brothers) editions are dated 1952; a firm priority of one country's edition over the other is not established by the standard bibliographies, so the UK edition cannot be asserted as the unambiguous true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue of the true first.
I have a first edition of The Devils of Loudun — 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.