# Is "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales" by Oliver Sacks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks (Gerald Duckworth, 1985) is identified by: UK Duckworth: black cloth, gilt spine lettering; 233pp, illustrated; first-issue dust jacket priced 9.95 net. Both the UK Duckworth (London) and US Summit Books (New York) editions are dated 1985.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Duckworth: black cloth, gilt spine lettering
- 233pp, illustrated; first-issue dust jacket priced 9.95 net
- US Summit (New York): pale green paper-covered boards over red spine cloth lettered in gilt; first printing identified by a complete number line on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Gerald Duckworth
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Oliver Sacks |
| Publisher | Gerald Duckworth |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Duckworth: black cloth, gilt spine lettering |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Duckworth: black cloth, gilt spine lettering; 233pp, illustrated; first-issue dust jacket priced 9.95 net. US Summit (New York): pale green paper-covered boards over red spine cloth lettered in gilt; first printing identified by a complete number line on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
Both the UK Duckworth (London) and US Summit Books (New York) editions are dated 1985. Sacks was British and Duckworth was his long-standing UK publisher, so the Duckworth printing is generally treated as the true first; exact month-of-issue precedence between the two 1985 printings is not firmly documented, so collectors who require the earliest issue should confirm provenance.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A US book-club issue exists; it typically lacks a jacket price and may show a blind-stamp on the rear board. On Summit copies, verify the full number line to distinguish a true first printing from later printings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales* by Oliver Sacks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-man-who-mistook-his-wife-for-a-hat-and-other-clinical-ta
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.