London: Methuen & co., 1903 (First English edition)
Edel claims that the order in British first edition is the correct order, not only due to chronological order, but also because James supervised the publication of the British edition. McGann, however, argues that the British edition was published based on a “defective” copy that James could not fix due to the fast approaching deadline. Thus, McGann claims that the first American edition is the correct copy because he does not believe that James would be so careless so as to make the same mistake twice, as James reviewed both the American first edition in 1903 and the New York Edition of The Ambassadors in 1909.
Published September 23, 1909 with no separate English edition. First printing consisted of 4000 copies. First serial publication in Harper’s Magazine. Small revisions were made between copies.
Notable features: Ribbon and heart decoration on the red cover. Decorated initial capitals.
Illustrations by W.T. Smedley: Frontispiece: "The Young man had left her, smiling, looking back"; “He says I was good to him, Mrs. Drack”; “There was never anything in the least serious between us”; and “She yielded to the bitterness.”
