# Is "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" by John le Carré a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré (Victor Gollancz, 1963) is identified by: UK Victor Gollancz first, 1963, in the typographic Gollancz dust jacket. UK Gollancz 1963 is the true first, preceding the US Coward-McCann edition (1964).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Victor Gollancz first, 1963, in the typographic Gollancz dust jacket
- The publisher's binding is blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine
- The copyright page is dated 1963 with no later-impression statement
- Some first-issue copies retain the publisher's promotional wrap-around band; the printed price should be present on an unclipped jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John le Carré |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Victor Gollancz first, 1963, in the typographic Gollancz dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Victor Gollancz first, 1963, in the typographic Gollancz dust jacket. The publisher's binding is blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine. The copyright page is dated 1963 with no later-impression statement. Some first-issue copies retain the publisher's promotional wrap-around band; the printed price should be present on an unclipped jacket.

## Is this the true first?
UK Gollancz 1963 is the true first, preceding the US Coward-McCann edition (1964). The desirable copy is the UK first in blue cloth with a crisp, unclipped Gollancz jacket; signed copies are scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US Coward-McCann is the American first. Later Gollancz impressions are stated on the copyright page. Reader's Union and other book-club editions exist of the UK text, identifiable by the club imprint and a jacket printed without a price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Spy Who Came in from the Cold* by John le Carré a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold
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.