# Is "The Man Who Was Thursday" by G. K. Chesterton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton (J. W. Arrowsmith, 1908) is identified by: Arrowsmith, Bristol, 1908, in publisher's red cloth with the spine lettered in gilt and the title and author stamped in black on the front board; pagination viii + 329 pp with terminal adverts, and some copies carry a two-page publisher's booklet at the rear. The Arrowsmith (Bristol) 1908 edition is the true first, catalogued as such by every dealer consulted.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition: J. W. Arrowsmith, Bristol, 1908, in publisher's red cloth with the spine lettered in gilt and the title and author stamped in black on the front board; pagination viii + 329 pp with terminal adverts, and some copies carry a two-page publisher's booklet at the rear
- One dealer catalog (MDS Books) records a first-issue spine state lacking the full point after "G.K" and carrying the publisher's initials — this point is single-source and should be treated as unconfirmed rather than a settled requirement
- Publisher imprint reads J. W. Arrowsmith
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | G. K. Chesterton |
| Publisher | J. W. Arrowsmith |
| Year | 1908 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition: J. W. Arrowsmith, Bristol, 1908, in publisher's red cloth with the spine lettered in gilt and the title and author stamped… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition: J. W. Arrowsmith, Bristol, 1908, in publisher's red cloth with the spine lettered in gilt and the title and author stamped in black on the front board; pagination viii + 329 pp with terminal adverts, and some copies carry a two-page publisher's booklet at the rear. One dealer catalog (MDS Books) records a first-issue spine state lacking the full point after "G.K" and carrying the publisher's initials — this point is single-source and should be treated as unconfirmed rather than a settled requirement.

## Is this the true first?
The Arrowsmith (Bristol) 1908 edition is the true first, catalogued as such by every dealer consulted. Dodd, Mead (New York) issued the first American edition the same year, with "Published, March, 1908" stated on the copyright page; both editions are collected.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club or reprint tells documented in the sources consulted; later Dodd, Mead reprints (e.g., 1935) exist and are identified by their later dates.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Man Who Was Thursday* by G. K. Chesterton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-man-who-was-thursday
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.