# Is "Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder" by Richard Dawkins a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder by Richard Dawkins (Allen Lane The Penguin Press, 1998) is identified by: UK first edition, first printing published by Allen Lane The Penguin Press. UK Allen Lane edition is the true first, preceding the US Houghton Mifflin 1998 printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK first edition, first printing published by Allen Lane The Penguin Press
- Black boards, spine lettered in gilt; full number line beginning with 1 on the copyright page
- Dust jacket priced in sterling
- Publisher imprint reads Allen Lane The Penguin Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Dawkins |
| Publisher | Allen Lane The Penguin Press |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK first edition, first printing published by Allen Lane The Penguin Press |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK first edition, first printing published by Allen Lane The Penguin Press. Black boards, spine lettered in gilt; full number line beginning with 1 on the copyright page. Dust jacket priced in sterling.

## Is this the true first?
UK Allen Lane edition is the true first, preceding the US Houghton Mifflin 1998 printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book club edition confusion for the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder* by Richard Dawkins a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/unweaving-the-rainbow-science-delusion-and-the-appetite-for
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.