# Is "The Razor's Edge" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham (Doubleday, Doran, 1944) is identified by: First trade edition published by Doubleday, Doran in April 1944, preceding the UK Heinemann edition by roughly two months. US Doubleday, Doran is the true first; UK Heinemann followed in 1944.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First trade edition published by Doubleday, Doran in April 1944, preceding the UK Heinemann edition by roughly two months
- First-printing points on the copyright page: copyright 1943, 1944 by The McCall Company and 1944 by W. Somerset Maugham, the wartime production-compliance emblem, and the imprint 'Printed in the United States at The Country Life Press, Garden City, N.Y.' Black cloth, [vi], 343 pp
- A signed, numbered limited edition of 750 copies (in slipcase) was also issued
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday, Doran
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | Doubleday, Doran |
| Year | 1944 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade edition published by Doubleday, Doran in April 1944, preceding the UK Heinemann edition by roughly two months |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First trade edition published by Doubleday, Doran in April 1944, preceding the UK Heinemann edition by roughly two months. First-printing points on the copyright page: copyright 1943, 1944 by The McCall Company and 1944 by W. Somerset Maugham, the wartime production-compliance emblem, and the imprint 'Printed in the United States at The Country Life Press, Garden City, N.Y.' Black cloth, [vi], 343 pp. A signed, numbered limited edition of 750 copies (in slipcase) was also issued.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday, Doran is the true first; UK Heinemann followed in 1944. The signed limited edition of 750 copies is a separate premium issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Numerous later book-club printings exist; verify the McCall copyright wording and Country Life Press imprint to distinguish the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Razor's Edge* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-razors-edge
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.