# Is "The Great Fire of London" by Peter Ackroyd a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Great Fire of London by Peter Ackroyd (Hamish Hamilton, 1982) is identified by: Ackroyd's first novel; octavo hardcover of 169 pages bound in red cloth with gilt spine lettering; copyright page reads 'First published 1982' (ISBN 0241107040). The UK Hamish Hamilton 1982 hardcover is the true first; the US edition (Chicago Review Press) followed later in the decade.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ackroyd's first novel; octavo hardcover of 169 pages bound in red cloth with gilt spine lettering; copyright page reads 'First published 1982' (ISBN 0241107040)
- The original dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and an author portrait on the rear flap
- Printed on inexpensive paper that commonly tans at the page edges
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ackroyd's first novel; octavo hardcover of 169 pages bound in red cloth with gilt spine lettering; copyright page reads 'First published… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Ackroyd's first novel; octavo hardcover of 169 pages bound in red cloth with gilt spine lettering; copyright page reads 'First published 1982' (ISBN 0241107040). The original dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and an author portrait on the rear flap. Printed on inexpensive paper that commonly tans at the page edges.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton 1982 hardcover is the true first; the US edition (Chicago Review Press) followed later in the decade.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note; genuinely scarce in the original unfaded jacket, as the spine panel is prone to fading.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Great Fire of London* by Peter Ackroyd a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-great-fire-of-london
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.