# Is "The Human Factor" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Human Factor by Graham Greene (The Bodley Head, 1978) is identified by: First printing identified by the oval device on the title page bearing the head of Sir Thomas Bodley; later impressions show a 'BH' in a box instead. The Bodley Head London edition is the true first; a Simon & Schuster (US) edition followed in 1978.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing identified by the oval device on the title page bearing the head of Sir Thomas Bodley; later impressions show a 'BH' in a box instead
- Copyright page states 'First published 1978'
- Green cloth; jacket designed by Michael Harvey
- 339 pages
- Espionage novel
- Publisher imprint reads The Bodley Head
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing identified by the oval device on the title page bearing the head of Sir Thomas Bodley; later impressions show a 'BH' in a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing identified by the oval device on the title page bearing the head of Sir Thomas Bodley; later impressions show a 'BH' in a box instead. Copyright page states 'First published 1978'. Green cloth; jacket designed by Michael Harvey; 339 pages. Espionage novel.

## Is this the true first?
The Bodley Head London edition is the true first; a Simon & Schuster (US) edition followed in 1978.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club printings appeared later and are not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Human Factor* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-human-factor
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.