# Is "The Third Twin" by Ken Follett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Third Twin by Ken Follett (Crown, 1996) is identified by: US first: Crown Publishers, 1996, quarter red cloth over blue boards, silver spine lettering, gray endpapers; complete number line 1 through 10 indicating first printing; dust jacket present and unclipped. A UK Macmillan and a US Crown edition both appeared in 1996.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US first: Crown Publishers, 1996, quarter red cloth over blue boards, silver spine lettering, gray endpapers; complete number line 1 through 10 indicating first printing; dust jacket present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Crown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ken Follett |
| Publisher | Crown |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US first: Crown Publishers, 1996, quarter red cloth over blue boards, silver spine… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US first: Crown Publishers, 1996, quarter red cloth over blue boards, silver spine lettering, gray endpapers; complete number line 1 through 10 indicating first printing; dust jacket present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
A UK Macmillan and a US Crown edition both appeared in 1996. The UK Macmillan hardcover is the likely true first for this British author; precise precedence is not firmly established, so this record identifies the US Crown first only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions carry a blind-stamped dot to the rear board and lack the full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Third Twin* by Ken Follett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-third-twin
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.