# Is "The Hard Way" by Lee Child a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hard Way by Lee Child (Delacorte Press, 2006) is identified by: On the US Delacorte Press edition, the copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a complete number line descending to 1; the '1' must be present for the first printing. The true first edition is the UK Bantam Press hardcover, published early 2006, which preceded the US Delacorte Press edition (published 16 May 2006).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- On the US Delacorte Press edition, the copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a complete number line descending to 1; the '1' must be present for the first printing
- Issued in publisher's boards with a pictorial dust jacket; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed front-flap price (presence only, no amount)
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Child |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | On the US Delacorte Press edition, the copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
On the US Delacorte Press edition, the copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a complete number line descending to 1; the '1' must be present for the first printing. Issued in publisher's boards with a pictorial dust jacket; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed front-flap price (presence only, no amount).

## Is this the true first?
The true first edition is the UK Bantam Press hardcover, published early 2006, which preceded the US Delacorte Press edition (published 16 May 2006). The Delacorte printing is the genuine US first edition but not the first appearance in print. Tenth Reacher novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition issue on the stated-first US Delacorte printing; the stated 'First Edition' with number line to 1 identifies the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hard Way* by Lee Child a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hard-way
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.