How to identify a first printing
- First editions state "First published [Year]" or "First published in [Year]" on the copyright page (frequently with the printer named), later printings noted with added impression lines
- First printing = the 'First published' statement with NO subsequent-impression notation
- Early/mid-20th-c. titles list later printings as 'Second impression [year]' etc. beneath the original line
- Confirm clean copyright page free of reprint lines
Notable points & cautions
- Published J.R.R. Tolkien — 'The Hobbit' (1937) and 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954-55) true firsts have famously intricate points: 'Hobbit' first issue with green cloth & dustjacket, and the LotR Fellowship 'first impression' with the corrected/uncorrected text and the well-known signature-line points
- Also Bertrand Russell, Arthur Waley translations
- Allen & Unwin Australia became an independent Commonwealth house — distinguish from the UK parent
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Allen & Unwin, Unwin Hyman (1986-1991), Unwin Paperbacks, Allen & Unwin Australia (later separate). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my George Allen & Unwin book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. First editions state "First published [Year]" or "First published in [Year]" on the copyright page (frequently with the printer named), later printings noted with added impression lines First printing = the 'First published' statement with NO subsequent-impression notation
Does George Allen & Unwin use a number line?
First printing = the 'First published' statement with NO subsequent-impression notation
Is a book-club edition a George Allen & Unwin first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Published J.R.R. Tolkien — 'The Hobbit' (1937) and 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954-55) true firsts have famously intricate points: 'Hobbit' first issue with green cloth & dustjacket, and the LotR Fellowship 'first impression' with the corrected/uncorrected text and the well-known signature-line points
What era does this cover?
This covers George Allen & Unwin (1914-1990 (UK independent); Australian arm continues). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
George Allen & Unwin titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- Fantastic Mr Fox (Roald Dahl (illus. Donald Chaffin), 1970)
- Farmer Giles of Ham (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1949)
- Mr. Bliss (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1982)
- One Man's Initiation: 1917 (John Dos Passos, 1920)
- Smith of Wootton Major (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1967)
- Take Back Plenty (Colin Greenland, 1990)
- The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1962)
- The Book of Lost Tales, Part One (History of Middle-earth vol. 1) (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1983)
- The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two (HoME vol. 2) (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1984)
- The Child Garden (Geoff Ryman, 1989)
- The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1954)
- The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien, 1937)
- The Interpretation of Dreams (Sigmund Freud, 1899/1900 (German) / 1913 (English))
- The Lays of Beleriand (HoME vol. 3) (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1985)
- The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1981)
- The Lord of the Rings (3 vols) (J. R. R. Tolkien, 1954-1955)
- The Lost Road and Other Writings (HoME vol. 5) (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1987)
- The Return of the King (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1955)
- The Return of the Shadow (HoME vol. 6) (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1988)
- The Shaping of Middle-earth (HoME vol. 4) (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1986)
Documenting 31 George Allen & Unwin titles in all — browse the full title-by-title library →