The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The census claim is confirmed as to the true first — G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1973 — but it omits a UK edition that is separately collected: Hodder & Stoughton published the UK hardcover the same year (ISBN 0340175524), followed by a Coronet paperback in 1974. Godey was American and Putnam was his publisher, so US precedence is the accepted order, though no month-level date was established for either side. Caution: the Kirkus record for this title carries an anomalous 'Feb. 27, 1972' pub-date field that contradicts the universally recorded 1973 publication and should not be cited. First-thus traps: the 1974 Dell paperback, the 1974 film tie-in issue, and the later Berkley reissues.