# Is "The Name of Action" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Name of Action by Graham Greene (William Heinemann, 1930) is identified by: First edition, first printing in dark blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 344 pages. UK Heinemann is the true first; the US Doubleday, Doran edition follows in 1931.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing in dark blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 344 pages
- Greene's second novel, later suppressed by the author and not reprinted in his lifetime, making the first edition scarce
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1930 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing in dark blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 344 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing in dark blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 344 pages. Greene's second novel, later suppressed by the author and not reprinted in his lifetime, making the first edition scarce.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann is the true first; the US Doubleday, Doran edition follows in 1931. Greene disowned the book.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition was issued.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Name of Action* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-name-of-action
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.