# Is "The Looking Glass War" by John le Carré a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Looking Glass War by John le Carré (William Heinemann, 1965) is identified by: Heinemann first edition, 1965 (le Carré moved from Gollancz to Heinemann for this title). UK Heinemann (1965) is the true first; US Coward-McCann (1965) followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Heinemann first edition, 1965 (le Carré moved from Gollancz to Heinemann for this title)
- Publisher's black paper-covered boards with the spine stamped in silver, in the first-issue Heinemann jacket
- Verso carries a single 'First published 1965' line with no later-impression statement
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John le Carré |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Heinemann first edition, 1965 (le Carré moved from Gollancz to Heinemann for this title) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Heinemann first edition, 1965 (le Carré moved from Gollancz to Heinemann for this title). Publisher's black paper-covered boards with the spine stamped in silver, in the first-issue Heinemann jacket. Verso carries a single 'First published 1965' line with no later-impression statement.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann (1965) is the true first; US Coward-McCann (1965) followed. Note the publisher change from Gollancz to Heinemann beginning with this book.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add printing lines to the verso; book-club copies are reset and lack the original UK jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Looking Glass War* by John le Carré a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-looking-glass-war
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.