The New Centurions

US Little, Brown (Boston, 1970) is the true first, and the census claim is confirmed — Wambaugh's debut and the founding modern police procedural. The first UK edition is Michael Joseph (London, 1971), a year later, and is separately collected as the first British edition; UK Sphere and Futura issues are paperback reprints. Later Little, Brown Book Group, Quercus, and Grand Central reissues (some with a Michael Connelly introduction) are first-thus, not firsts.