The points of issue
Illustrated non-fiction (ISBN 9781787332164). Hardcover in boards, issued in dust jacket. The true first printing has a caption error: the photograph on page 33 is captioned 'Oscar Wilde as Salomé'; in a later first-edition printing the image was changed and recaptioned 'Wilde as a Greek'. First printing also carries a full descending number line ending in 1.
Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape edition (2019) is the true first, preceding the US Alfred A. Knopf edition (2020) and the Random House Canada edition (2020).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions correct the page-33 caption and adjust the number line or add an impression statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Man in the Red Coat a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Illustrated non-fiction (ISBN 9781787332164). Hardcover in boards, issued in dust jacket. The true first printing has a caption error: the photograph on page 33 is captioned 'Oscar Wilde as Salomé'; in a later first-edition printing the image was changed and recaptioned 'Wilde as a Greek'. First printing also carries a full descending number line ending in 1.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The UK Jonathan Cape edition (2019) is the true first, preceding the US Alfred A. Knopf edition (2020) and the Random House Canada edition (2020).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions correct the page-33 caption and adjust the number line or add an impression statement.
I have a first edition of The Man in the Red Coat — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.