# Is "Triple" by Ken Follett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Triple by Ken Follett (Arbor House, 1979) is identified by: Arbor House first printing carries the publisher's first-printing statement and a number line on the copyright page; the first US issue is in a priced dust jacket. The true first is the UK Macdonald & Jane's edition, London 1979, which precedes the US Arbor House edition of the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Arbor House first printing carries the publisher's first-printing statement and a number line on the copyright page; the first US issue is in a priced dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Arbor House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ken Follett |
| Publisher | Arbor House |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Arbor House first printing carries the publisher's first-printing statement and a number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Arbor House first printing carries the publisher's first-printing statement and a number line on the copyright page; the first US issue is in a priced dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the UK Macdonald & Jane's edition, London 1979, which precedes the US Arbor House edition of the same year. The Arbor House printing is the first American edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies show a blind stamp to the rear board and omit the publisher's first-printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Triple* by Ken Follett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/triple
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.