# Is "The Hammer of Eden" by Ken Follett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hammer of Eden by Ken Follett (Crown, 1998) is identified by: US first: Crown Publishers, New York, 1998; complete number line indicating first printing; dust jacket present and unclipped. A UK Macmillan (London) edition and a US Crown edition both appeared in 1998; several dealers list the Macmillan UK edition first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US first: Crown Publishers, New York, 1998; complete number line indicating first printing; dust jacket present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Crown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ken Follett |
| Publisher | Crown |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US first: Crown Publishers, New York, 1998; complete number line indicating first… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US first: Crown Publishers, New York, 1998; complete number line indicating first printing; dust jacket present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
A UK Macmillan (London) edition and a US Crown edition both appeared in 1998; several dealers list the Macmillan UK edition first. The UK Macmillan hardcover is the likely true first for this British author; precise precedence is not firmly established, so this record identifies the US Crown first only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions carry a blind-stamped dot to the rear board and lack the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hammer of Eden* by Ken Follett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hammer-of-eden
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.