# Is "Time's Arrow: Or The Nature of the Offence" by Martin Amis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Time's Arrow: Or The Nature of the Offence by Martin Amis (Jonathan Cape, 1991) is identified by: Stated 'First published 1991' by Jonathan Cape, London; issued in gilt-lettered grey cloth boards with dust jacket, 176 pages; narrative told in reverse chronology. UK Cape (September 1991) is the true first, preceding the US Harmony Books edition by about a month (October 1991).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Stated 'First published 1991' by Jonathan Cape, London; issued in gilt-lettered grey cloth boards with dust jacket, 176 pages; narrative told in reverse chronology
- Booker Prize shortlisted in 1991
- A first-issue jacket retains the printed net price on the front flap (present, not clipped)
- A separate signed limited edition of 200 copies was specially bound in quarter cloth and marbled boards
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Martin Amis |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Stated 'First published 1991' by Jonathan Cape, London; issued in gilt-lettered grey cloth boards with dust jacket, 176 pages; narrative… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Stated 'First published 1991' by Jonathan Cape, London; issued in gilt-lettered grey cloth boards with dust jacket, 176 pages; narrative told in reverse chronology. Booker Prize shortlisted in 1991. A first-issue jacket retains the printed net price on the front flap (present, not clipped). A separate signed limited edition of 200 copies was specially bound in quarter cloth and marbled boards.

## Is this the true first?
UK Cape (September 1991) is the true first, preceding the US Harmony Books edition by about a month (October 1991). The US edition carries revised, Americanized text and the spelling 'Offense' in its title, so the UK first is also textually distinct.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition concern for the Cape first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Time's Arrow: Or The Nature of the Offence* by Martin Amis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/times-arrow-or-the-nature-of-the-offence
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.