# Is "The Lost Childhood and Other Essays" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Lost Childhood and Other Essays by Graham Greene (Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1951) is identified by: First printing of this collection of essays and book reviews, collating viii, [4], 191 pages. Eyre & Spottiswoode, London, 1951 is the true first edition; the US Viking edition followed in 1952.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of this collection of essays and book reviews, collating viii, [4], 191 pages
- Bound in original oatmeal cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with the top edge sprayed red as issued, in a pictorial dust jacket
- The first-state jacket carries the publisher's printed price on the inner flap; confirm that the printed price is present rather than noting any amount
- Publisher imprint reads Eyre & Spottiswoode
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | Eyre & Spottiswoode |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of this collection of essays and book reviews, collating viii, [4], 191 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of this collection of essays and book reviews, collating viii, [4], 191 pages. Bound in original oatmeal cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with the top edge sprayed red as issued, in a pictorial dust jacket. The first-state jacket carries the publisher's printed price on the inner flap; confirm that the printed price is present rather than noting any amount.

## Is this the true first?
Eyre & Spottiswoode, London, 1951 is the true first edition; the US Viking edition followed in 1952.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted for the first edition; the priority copy is the London Eyre & Spottiswoode printing in oatmeal cloth with red-sprayed top edge.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Lost Childhood and Other Essays* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-lost-childhood-and-other-essays
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.