# Is "The Prisoner of Zenda" by Anthony Hope a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (J. W. Arrowsmith, 1894) is identified by: Arrowsmith, Bristol, in 1894, one of the numbered volumes in Arrowsmith's series of single-volume popular novels; the book went through further issues within the year given its immediate popularity. An American edition from Henry Holt, New York, followed the Arrowsmith Bristol edition the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published by J. W. Arrowsmith, Bristol, in 1894, one of the numbered volumes in Arrowsmith's series of single-volume popular novels; the book went through further issues within the year given its immediate popularity
- Because the novel was brand new on release, the true first issue is identified by the absence of The Prisoner of Zenda's own title from the list of Arrowsmith titles in the publisher's rear advertisements -- a point recorded in Percy Muir's standard reference Points (pp
- 126-29) -- while later 1894 issues added the title to that list and reset the verso of the title page
- The binding in all issues is russet-red cloth; dealers also cite a crossed or uncrossed 'f' in the spine lettering as a further variant point, though sources agree there is no full consensus on how that detail correlates with issue priority
- Publisher imprint reads J. W. Arrowsmith
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Hope |
| Publisher | J. W. Arrowsmith |
| Year | 1894 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published by J. W. Arrowsmith, Bristol, in 1894, one of the numbered volumes in Arrowsmith's series of single-volume popular novels… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published by J. W. Arrowsmith, Bristol, in 1894, one of the numbered volumes in Arrowsmith's series of single-volume popular novels; the book went through further issues within the year given its immediate popularity. Because the novel was brand new on release, the true first issue is identified by the absence of The Prisoner of Zenda's own title from the list of Arrowsmith titles in the publisher's rear advertisements -- a point recorded in Percy Muir's standard reference Points (pp. 126-29) -- while later 1894 issues added the title to that list and reset the verso of the title page. The binding in all issues is russet-red cloth; dealers also cite a crossed or uncrossed 'f' in the spine lettering as a further variant point, though sources agree there is no full consensus on how that detail correlates with issue priority.

## Is this the true first?
An American edition from Henry Holt, New York, followed the Arrowsmith Bristol edition the same year.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Prisoner of Zenda* by Anthony Hope a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-prisoner-of-zenda
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.