# Is "A Leg to Stand On" by Oliver Sacks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Leg to Stand On by Oliver Sacks (Gerald Duckworth & Co., 1984) is identified by: First printing from Gerald Duckworth & Co. UK true first (Duckworth, May 1984) precedes the US Summit Books edition (ISBN 0-671-46780-8).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing from Gerald Duckworth & Co
- (London), May 1984; octavo, 168 pages (ISBN 0-7156-1027-9)
- Bound in burgundy cloth stamped in gilt on the spine, in the original illustrated dust jacket, which should retain its printed price; the jacket spine is prone to sunning
- The US edition (Summit Books) followed later in 1984 and incorporated authorial revisions
- Publisher imprint reads Gerald Duckworth & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Oliver Sacks |
| Publisher | Gerald Duckworth & Co. |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing from Gerald Duckworth & Co |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing from Gerald Duckworth & Co. (London), May 1984; octavo, 168 pages (ISBN 0-7156-1027-9). Bound in burgundy cloth stamped in gilt on the spine, in the original illustrated dust jacket, which should retain its printed price; the jacket spine is prone to sunning. The US edition (Summit Books) followed later in 1984 and incorporated authorial revisions.

## Is this the true first?
UK true first (Duckworth, May 1984) precedes the US Summit Books edition (ISBN 0-671-46780-8). The American text was revised, so the two editions differ.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Leg to Stand On* by Oliver Sacks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-leg-to-stand-on
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.