# Is "The Gentleman in the Parlour" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Gentleman in the Parlour by W. Somerset Maugham (William Heinemann, 1930) is identified by: First edition, first printing, published by Heinemann in 1930 with the subtitle 'A Record of a Journey from Rangoon to Haiphong'. UK Heinemann is the true first; the US Doubleday, Doran edition followed in 1930.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, published by Heinemann in 1930 with the subtitle 'A Record of a Journey from Rangoon to Haiphong'
- Issued in black cloth blocked in gilt with a dragon design to the front board and a pagoda design to the spine
- A travel narrative of Southeast Asia
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1930 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, published by Heinemann in 1930 with the subtitle 'A Record of a Journey from Rangoon to Haiphong' |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, published by Heinemann in 1930 with the subtitle 'A Record of a Journey from Rangoon to Haiphong'. Issued in black cloth blocked in gilt with a dragon design to the front board and a pagoda design to the spine. A travel narrative of Southeast Asia.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann is the true first; the US Doubleday, Doran edition followed in 1930.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. A signed limited issue exists alongside the trade edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Gentleman in the Parlour* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-gentleman-in-the-parlour
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.