The Man Who Was Thursday
The Man Who Was Thursday is G. K. Chesterton's novel subtitled A Nightmare, first published by J. W. Arrowsmith in 1908. Gabriel Syme, recruited into a Scotland Yard unit, goes undercover on an anarchist council whose members are named after weekdays. Critics have called it a metaphysical thriller.
- Editions tracked
- 1
- First edition
- J.W. Arrowsmith, 1908
- First published
- J. W. Arrowsmith, 1908
The first edition of The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton was published in Bristol by J.W. Arrowsmith in 1908. We track 1 edition.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st J.W. Arrowsmith1908 Hardback I own The Man Who Was Thursday, J.W. Arrowsmith 1908 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Setting and characters
- Set in
- London
- Genre
- thriller
In print
- Editions recorded
- 1105 on Open Library, 993 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 16 languages
- Free to read
- Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
Pictures of the book
Freely licensed pictures of the work. They are not necessarily the edition you hold: check the points on each edition's page.
More by G. K. Chesterton
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How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
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Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Man Who Was Thursday?
The first edition of The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton was published in Bristol by J.W. Arrowsmith in 1908.
How many editions of The Man Who Was Thursday are there?
We track 1 edition of The Man Who Was Thursday, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Can I read The Man Who Was Thursday for free?
Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.
Where these facts come from
- The Man Who Was Thursday, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- G.K. Chesterton, The Man Who Was Thursday, First UK Edition 1908, John Atkinson Books (johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.