# Is "The Light of Day" by Eric Ambler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Light of Day by Eric Ambler (Heinemann, 1962) is identified by: The William Heinemann (London) edition of 1962 is the true first: blue cloth, 247 pages, in a blue-and-white dust jacket designed by Leslie Needham, with map endpapers drawn by Audrey Frew. The UK Heinemann edition (1962) precedes the US Knopf edition (1963).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The William Heinemann (London) edition of 1962 is the true first: blue cloth, 247 pages, in a blue-and-white dust jacket designed by Leslie Needham, with map endpapers drawn by Audrey Frew
- The front jacket flap should carry its printed price
- Filmed in 1964 as 'Topkapi'; winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel
- Publisher imprint reads Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Eric Ambler |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The William Heinemann (London) edition of 1962 is the true first: blue cloth, 247 pages, in a blue-and-white dust jacket designed by Leslie… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The William Heinemann (London) edition of 1962 is the true first: blue cloth, 247 pages, in a blue-and-white dust jacket designed by Leslie Needham, with map endpapers drawn by Audrey Frew. The front jacket flap should carry its printed price. Filmed in 1964 as 'Topkapi'; winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel (1964).

## Is this the true first?
The UK Heinemann edition (1962) precedes the US Knopf edition (1963).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US club editions exist, and film tie-in 'Topkapi' reprints postdate the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Light of Day* by Eric Ambler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-light-of-day
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.