# Is "The Summing Up" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Summing Up by W. Somerset Maugham (William Heinemann, 1938) is identified by: Autobiographical and aesthetic memoir. UK Heinemann is the true first; the US Doubleday, Doran edition followed in 1938.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Autobiographical and aesthetic memoir
- The UK William Heinemann edition of 1938 is the standard true first; its copyright page (verso of the title leaf) states 'First published 1938,' and the book is bound in cloth stamped in gilt on the spine, issued in a printed dust jacket
- The US Doubleday, Doran edition also appeared in 1938 in black cloth stamped in gilt on the spine and front panel, with the price printed on the jacket front flap
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1938 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Autobiographical and aesthetic memoir |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Autobiographical and aesthetic memoir. The UK William Heinemann edition of 1938 is the standard true first; its copyright page (verso of the title leaf) states 'First published 1938,' and the book is bound in cloth stamped in gilt on the spine, issued in a printed dust jacket. The US Doubleday, Doran edition also appeared in 1938 in black cloth stamped in gilt on the spine and front panel, with the price printed on the jacket front flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann is the true first; the US Doubleday, Doran edition followed in 1938. Both are dated 1938, so the Heinemann 'First published 1938' verso statement and the Heinemann imprint distinguish the priority issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Summing Up* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-summing-up
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.