# Is "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" by John le Carré a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (Hodder & Stoughton, 1974) is identified by: UK Hodder & Stoughton first, 1974. UK Hodder & Stoughton 1974 is the true first, preceding the US Knopf edition (1974).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Hodder & Stoughton first, 1974
- Copyright page reads 'First printed 1974' with no 'Second impression' or later-impression statement following it
- Bound in cloth with the Hodder colophon on the spine and a gilt-debossed drawing of Smiley to the front corner; endpapers of the first printing are pale yellow
- First-issue dust jacket carries the publisher's printed price on the front flap (its presence confirms trade issue; the exact figure is immaterial)
- First volume of the Karla trilogy
- Publisher imprint reads Hodder & Stoughton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John le Carré |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Hodder & Stoughton first, 1974 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Hodder & Stoughton first, 1974. Copyright page reads 'First printed 1974' with no 'Second impression' or later-impression statement following it. Bound in cloth with the Hodder colophon on the spine and a gilt-debossed drawing of Smiley to the front corner; endpapers of the first printing are pale yellow. First-issue dust jacket carries the publisher's printed price on the front flap (its presence confirms trade issue; the exact figure is immaterial). First volume of the Karla trilogy.

## Is this the true first?
UK Hodder & Stoughton 1974 is the true first, preceding the US Knopf edition (1974). The UK first is the desirable copy; signed copies are sought. Firsts of this title are scarcer than the novels flanking it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Hodder impressions state 'Second impression' (etc.) after 'First printed 1974'. Book-club copies characteristically lack the printed price on the jacket flap; the US Knopf first is a separate edition identified by imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy* by John le Carré a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy
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.