# Is "The Quiet American" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Quiet American by Graham Greene (Heinemann, 1955) is identified by: London: Heinemann, 1955. The UK Heinemann edition of 1955 is the true first, preceding the US Viking edition of 1956.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Heinemann, 1955
- Original cloth lettered in gilt to the spine; 'First published 1955' on the copyright page
- The first-issue dust jacket is with its printed price to the front flap (not the printed price), unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Heinemann, 1955 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
London: Heinemann, 1955. Original cloth lettered in gilt to the spine; 'First published 1955' on the copyright page. The first-issue dust jacket is with its printed price to the front flap (not the printed price), unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Heinemann edition of 1955 is the true first, preceding the US Viking edition of 1956.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add printing lines; clipped or reprice-stickered jackets and jackets lacking the printed price should be treated with caution.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Quiet American* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-quiet-american
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.