# Is "The Perennial Philosophy" by Aldous Huxley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley (Harper & Brothers, 1945) is identified by: First printing of Huxley's anthology and commentary on mysticism. US Harper & Brothers (1945) is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition followed in 1946.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of Huxley's anthology and commentary on mysticism
- Harper & Brothers, New York, 1945, preceding the UK edition
- Harper first printings carry the issue code on the copyright page identifying the first impression
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Aldous Huxley |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1945 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of Huxley's anthology and commentary on mysticism |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of Huxley's anthology and commentary on mysticism. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1945, preceding the UK edition. Harper first printings carry the issue code on the copyright page identifying the first impression.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper & Brothers (1945) is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition followed in 1946.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue at first publication.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Perennial Philosophy* by Aldous Huxley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-perennial-philosophy
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.