The points of issue
First printing in yellow cloth, with colour frontispiece portrait of Waugh (after Henry Lamb) and a fold-out map; first-thus collection drawn from the 1930s travel books Labels, Remote People, Ninety-Two Days and Waugh in Abyssinia. A separate large-paper deluxe issue of 20 copies on hand-made paper also exists.
Is this the true first?
London Duckworth is the true first (1946). US Little, Brown followed in 1947.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Compilation; no book-club issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of When the Going Was Good a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing in yellow cloth, with colour frontispiece portrait of Waugh (after Henry Lamb) and a fold-out map; first-thus collection drawn from the 1930s travel books Labels, Remote People, Ninety-Two Days and Waugh in Abyssinia. A separate large-paper deluxe issue of 20 copies on hand-made paper also exists.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. London Duckworth is the true first (1946). US Little, Brown followed in 1947.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Compilation; no book-club issue.
I have a first edition of When the Going Was Good — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.