NMLP P-037622 · True-first precedence · minted 2026-07-19
The Riddle of the Sands
Erskine Childers · Smith, Elder & Co. (London) · 1903
London (Smith, Elder & Co., 1903) is the only true first: the book originated in English in Britain, with no competing American or original-language claimant, and US publication came only in later years. Widely regarded as the founding modern spy novel.
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New Mexico Literacy Project — True-first precedence NMLP P-037622 for "The Riddle of the Sands" by Erskine Childers (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/id/point/p-037622, CC BY 4.0, dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21184548).