# Is "The Fifth Elephant" by Terry Pratchett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (Doubleday, 1999) is identified by: Discworld 24; City Watch. UK Doubleday true first; the US HarperCollins edition followed in 2000.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Discworld 24
- City Watch
- UK Doubleday, published 4 November 1999; original boards in Josh Kirby dust jacket; copyright page states first publication in Great Britain 1999 by Doubleday with a complete number line ending in 1
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Pratchett |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Discworld 24 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Discworld 24; City Watch. UK Doubleday, published 4 November 1999; original boards in Josh Kirby dust jacket; copyright page states first publication in Great Britain 1999 by Doubleday with a complete number line ending in 1.

## Is this the true first?
UK Doubleday true first; the US HarperCollins edition followed in 2000.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings lack the complete number line; the US edition and book club issues differ.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Fifth Elephant* by Terry Pratchett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-fifth-elephant
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.