# Is "The Hour Before the Dawn" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hour Before the Dawn by W. Somerset Maugham (Doubleday, Doran, 1942) is identified by: First edition published by Doubleday, Doran, Garden City, New York, 1942, in black cloth. The US Doubleday, Doran edition of 1942 is the true and only first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published by Doubleday, Doran, Garden City, New York, 1942, in black cloth
- This American edition is the only contemporary trade edition; there was no British trade edition at all
- The wartime propaganda novel was commissioned by the British Ministry of Information
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday, Doran
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | Doubleday, Doran |
| Year | 1942 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition published by Doubleday, Doran, Garden City, New York, 1942, in black cloth |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition published by Doubleday, Doran, Garden City, New York, 1942, in black cloth. This American edition is the only contemporary trade edition; there was no British trade edition at all. The wartime propaganda novel was commissioned by the British Ministry of Information.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday, Doran edition of 1942 is the true and only first edition. Maugham disliked the book and successfully prevented its publication in England, so no contemporary UK trade edition exists.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted for the first appearance.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hour Before the Dawn* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hour-before-the-dawn
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.