Cover of another edition of this book. The Hale 1951 jacket has not been photographed yet.
Identification points are listed only where two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.
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We value a printing from verified sales of that exact printing, and none of the first impression has come to auction in our records so far. The chart and the value by condition appear here as soon as one does.
Owners and wanters are told when a figure is ready.
Robert Hale sold mainly to public libraries, so many surviving copies are ex-library, and a clean copy in its jacket is the thing to look for. Hale often gave American books their first British appearance, and when the American original was a paperback the Hale issue is also the first hardback: John D. MacDonald's Border Town Girl (Hale, 1970) and Lawrence Block's The Sins of the Father (Hale, 1979) are examples. These are first UK editions, not true firsts.
Read the full guide to Hale first editions, decade by decade, and check your copy's copyright page against it. Our number line decoder reads the printing from the row of numbers.
We have not yet confirmed the issue points that tell this first impression from later ones. Until we do, compare your copy's title page and copyright page with the publisher, place and year above: any later printing or edition statement means it is not this one.
Know the points? Tell us. We publish them, with credit, once a second source agrees.
The cover image shows this book but may not be this edition or printing.
Hale, United Kingdom, in 1951, in hardback.
Points of issue are listed only where at least two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 21 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →7 min readTo identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →