# Is "Unconditional Surrender" by Evelyn Waugh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Unconditional Surrender by Evelyn Waugh (Chapman & Hall, 1961) is identified by: First edition, first printing, Chapman & Hall, London, 1961, with the copyright page stating "First published 1961." Bound in publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with the top edge stained navy. Chapman & Hall (London) 1961 is the true first, taking precedence as the original publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, Chapman & Hall, London, 1961, with the copyright page stating "First published 1961." Bound in publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with the top edge stained navy
- The dust jacket was designed by Biro and shows the printed net price on the unclipped copy (the jacket spine is often lightly sunned)
- Third and final volume of the Sword of Honour trilogy
- The US edition was retitled The End of the Battle
- Publisher imprint reads Chapman & Hall
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Evelyn Waugh |
| Publisher | Chapman & Hall |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, Chapman & Hall, London, 1961, with the copyright page stating "First published 1961." Bound in publisher's… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, Chapman & Hall, London, 1961, with the copyright page stating "First published 1961." Bound in publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with the top edge stained navy. The dust jacket was designed by Biro and shows the printed net price on the unclipped copy (the jacket spine is often lightly sunned). Third and final volume of the Sword of Honour trilogy. The US edition was retitled The End of the Battle.

## Is this the true first?
Chapman & Hall (London) 1961 is the true first, taking precedence as the original publication. The US Little, Brown edition, retitled The End of the Battle, also bears a 1961 date; sources describe the two as close to simultaneous within 1961, with the British title as the original.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US edition retitled The End of the Battle. No club issue precedes the UK first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Unconditional Surrender* by Evelyn Waugh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/unconditional-surrender
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.