# Is "The Enemy in the Blanket" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Enemy in the Blanket by Anthony Burgess (William Heinemann, 1958) is identified by: First edition, William Heinemann (London), 1958, in publisher's dark blue boards with silver lettering to the spine, issued in the pictorial dust jacket by John Rowland with the printed price present to the inside front flap (as called for; unclipped copies retain it). UK Heinemann is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, William Heinemann (London), 1958, in publisher's dark blue boards with silver lettering to the spine, issued in the pictorial dust jacket by John Rowland with the printed price present to the inside front flap (as called for; unclipped copies retain it)
- Burgess's second novel and the second title in The Malayan Trilogy, following the Crabbes
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, William Heinemann (London), 1958, in publisher's dark blue boards with silver lettering to the spine, issued in the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, William Heinemann (London), 1958, in publisher's dark blue boards with silver lettering to the spine, issued in the pictorial dust jacket by John Rowland with the printed price present to the inside front flap (as called for; unclipped copies retain it). Burgess's second novel and the second title in The Malayan Trilogy, following the Crabbes.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann is the true first. Later collected in the US omnibus The Long Day Wanes (W. W. Norton).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Enemy in the Blanket* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-enemy-in-the-blanket
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.