The points of issue
First UK edition, Viking (London), 1995, is the true first; third and final volume of the Regeneration trilogy and the 1995 Booker Prize winner. The UK Viking edition precedes the US edition. A Viking/Penguin-group number line ending in 1 indicates the first impression, and dealers do distinguish first impressions from later ones; the exact number-line digits and the verbatim copyright-page wording rest on house convention rather than a confirmed scan, so verify them on the copy in hand. The US first is Dutton (New York), 1995 (not 1996). The genuine UK first jacket is priced in pounds sterling only; beware the documented first Canadian issue (Viking) whose jacket carries both Canadian dollars and sterling, which marks the Canadian issue rather than the UK first.
Is this the true first?
UK Viking 1995 is the true first; the US Dutton 1995 is a later first-thus. 1995 Booker Prize winner.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No club edition. Confirm the UK Viking imprint and number line versus the US Dutton printing; a dual Canadian-dollar and sterling jacket price indicates the Canadian issue, not the UK first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Ghost Road a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK edition, Viking (London), 1995, is the true first; third and final volume of the Regeneration trilogy and the 1995 Booker Prize winner. The UK Viking edition precedes the US edition. A Viking/Penguin-group number line ending in 1 indicates the first impression, and dealers do distinguish first impressions from later ones; the exact number-line digits and the verbatim copyright-page wording rest on house convention rather than a confirmed scan, so verify them on the copy in hand. The US first is Dutton (New York), 1995 (not 1996). The genuine UK fir
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. UK Viking 1995 is the true first; the US Dutton 1995 is a later first-thus. 1995 Booker Prize winner.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No club edition. Confirm the UK Viking imprint and number line versus the US Dutton printing; a dual Canadian-dollar and sterling jacket price indicates the Canadian issue, not the UK first.
I have a first edition of The Ghost Road — 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.