# Is "The Lambs of London" by Peter Ackroyd a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd (Chatto & Windus, 2004) is identified by: Large octavo hardcover in grey faux-cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket; 216 pp. UK Chatto & Windus (2004) precedes the US Nan A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Large octavo hardcover in grey faux-cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket
- First Chatto & Windus printing (London, 2004), with the publisher's number line ending in 1
- ISBN 0701177446
- The first-issue jacket retains its printed price on the flap (present, not clipped)
- Publisher imprint reads Chatto & Windus
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Large octavo hardcover in grey faux-cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Large octavo hardcover in grey faux-cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket; 216 pp. First Chatto & Windus printing (London, 2004), with the publisher's number line ending in 1. ISBN 0701177446 (9780701177447). The first-issue jacket retains its printed price on the flap (present, not clipped).

## Is this the true first?
UK Chatto & Windus (2004) precedes the US Nan A. Talese / Doubleday edition (2006), ISBN 9780385514613.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings note an additional impression; no book-club issue affects the UK first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Lambs of London* by Peter Ackroyd a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-lambs-of-london
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.