# Is "The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution" by Richard Dawkins a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins (Bantam Press, 2009) is identified by: UK first edition, first printing published by Bantam Press, London; priced dust jacket; full number line on the copyright page. UK Bantam Press edition is the true first, preceding the US Free Press 2009 printing (published September 2009).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK first edition, first printing published by Bantam Press, London; priced dust jacket; full number line on the copyright page
- Illustrated with color plates and line drawings
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Dawkins |
| Publisher | Bantam Press |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK first edition, first printing published by Bantam Press, London; priced dust jacket… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK first edition, first printing published by Bantam Press, London; priced dust jacket; full number line on the copyright page. Illustrated with color plates and line drawings.

## Is this the true first?
UK Bantam Press edition is the true first, preceding the US Free Press 2009 printing (published September 2009).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book club edition confusion for the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution* by Richard Dawkins a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-greatest-show-on-earth-the-evidence-for-evolution
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.