The points of issue
First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 27 April 1939; the debate in essays between Lewis and E.M.W. Tillyard. Original cloth with gilt spine lettering, 150 pages; title page dated 1939 and verso carries no reprint or later-impression statement.
Is this the true first?
UK Oxford true first; there was no earlier or simultaneous US edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints (Oxford 1965 and a 2008 Concordia reissue) are clearly identified as such on their title or copyright pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Personal Heresy: A Controversy (with E.M.W. Tillyard) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 27 April 1939; the debate in essays between Lewis and E.M.W. Tillyard. Original cloth with gilt spine lettering, 150 pages; title page dated 1939 and verso carries no reprint or later-impression statement.
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. UK Oxford true first; there was no earlier or simultaneous US edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later reprints (Oxford 1965 and a 2008 Concordia reissue) are clearly identified as such on their title or copyright pages.
I have a first edition of The Personal Heresy: A Controversy (with E.M.W. Tillyard) — 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.