"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. "
— Oscar Wilde

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE (15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975) was an English author, and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His early novels were mostly school stories, but he later switched to comic fiction, creating several regular characters who have become embedded in the consciousness of generations growing up in the earlier part of the 20th century. They include: the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeves; the immaculate and loquacious Psmith; Lord Emsworth and the Blandings Castle set; the Oldest Member, with stories about golf; and Mr Mulliner. Wodehouse worked extensively on his books, sometimes having two or more on the go simultaneously. He would take up to two years to build a plot and write a scenario of about thirty thousand words. After the scenario was complete, he would write the story. Early in his career, Wodehouse could produce a novel in about three months, but in old age his production slowed to around six months.
During and after the First World War, together with Guy Bolton and Jerome Kern, Wodehouse wrote a series of Broadway musical comedies. These were an important part of the development of the American musical, and show Wodehouse to be a rather multi-talented fellow.
See below our stock of P. G. Wodehouse First Editions, fine bindings, sets and other collectible material.
London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, no date [1932]. [Illustrated Miscellany] FIRST EDITION. Small quarto (25 x 19cm), pp.193; [1]. With eight plates in colour, seven half-tone plates, and 95 black and white drawings. Publisher's oatmeal cloth with orange title labels to spine and upper board. Quite heavy spotting to first and..... More
New York, NY: Brentano's, 1927. [Hungarian Drama] FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[8] 139 [1]. Publisher's brown cloth with titles blocked with designs in blue and green to spine and upper board. Fore-edge untrimmed. With the green dust-jacket titled in a darker green. Lightly browned throughout. Dust-jacket..... More
London: George Newnes, June 1925 to March 1926. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Ten parts in their original colour illustrated paper covers. Octavo (27 x 20cm), pp.[56] 529-634 [57-70]; pp.[52] 108 [53-64]; pp.[48] 109-212 [49-60]; pp.[52] 213-320 [53-64]; pp.[60] 321-424 [61-76]; pp.[72] 425-530 [73-90]; pp.[98] 531-670 [99-130]; pp.[46] 104 [47-64]; pp.[52]..... More
London: George Newnes, September 1924 to May 1925. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Six parts in their original colour illustrated paper covers. Octavo (25 x 17cm). Presented in a navy blue quarter morocco clamshell box, with gilt titles to spine, raised bands and a fleece lining. Wear and small losses to..... More
London: George Newnes, December 1929 to June 1930. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Seven parts in their original colour illustrated paper covers. Octavo (25 x 17cm). Presented in a quarter black morocco clamshell box, with gilt titles to spine, raised bands and a fleece lining. Some rubbing and small losses to..... More
Chicago, IL: HMH Publishing Company, October 1966. [Men's Magazine] ORIGINAL MAGAZINE. Quarto (28 x 21cm), pp.228. Illustrated throughout. Publisher's colour-illustrated paper covers, with two staples to the spine, priced at 75c. Light wear to covers. Very good. Including 'The Man in the Rorschach Shirt' by Bradbury; 'First Aid for Freddie'..... More
London: George Newnes, July to December 1913. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Octavo (24 x 18cm), pp.iv; 802; viii. With frequent black and white, and occasional dichromatic, illustrations. Publisher's cyan cloth with gilt titles to spines and black titles and decoration to uppers. All edges speckled red. Ink library stamps of..... More
London: George Newnes, April, July, August, and December 1918, December 1922, and August 1923. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Six magazines. Octavo (27 x 19cm), pp.44; 265-344; 45-52; pp.20; 76; 21-32; pp.16; 77-152; 17-34; pp.64; 361-484; 65-82; pp.84; 487-628; 85-118; pp.48; 105-212; 49-64. Liberally illustrated in black and white throughout. Publisher's..... More
London: George Newnes, July to December 1930. [Literary Magazine] THE PASSING OF CONAN DOYLE. Octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.viii; 700. With frequent black and white, and occasional dichromatic, illustrations. Publisher's cyan cloth with gilt titles to spines and black titles and decoration to uppers. All edges lightly tinted blue. A...... More
London: George Newnes, March to May 1917. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Three magazines. Octavo (27 x 19cm), pp.50; 209-312; 51-58; pp.50; 313-416; 51-58; pp.40; 417-512; 41-48. Liberally illustrated in black and white throughout. Publisher's blue paper covers, titled in red and navy, and priced at 7d. Presented in a navy..... More
London: George Newnes, December 1909 to November 1910. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Twelve octavo magazines (28 x 19 x 18cm), pp.[126] 647-848; [127-166]; pp.[74] 128; [75-90]; pp.[80] 129-256; [81-96]; pp.[82] 257-384; [83-110] pp.[82] 385-512 [83-106]; pp.[82] 513-640 [83-106]; pp.[82] 641-768; [83-102]; pp.[70] 128; [71-86]; pp.[56] 129-256; [57-72]; pp.[70] 257-364; [71-86];..... More
London: Putnam, 1932. [Rugby Short Stories] FIRST EDITION, first state binding. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.xvi; 303 [1]. With the errata slip to contents page. Publisher's green cloth with orange titles to spine and upper. Spotting and toning to edges, endpapers and preliminaries. Tobacco-scented. Moderate wear to cloth; spine heavily..... More
London: George Newnes, October and November 1910. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCE. Two octavo magazines (27 x 19cm), pp.[84] 385-508 [12]; [85-108]; pp.[90] 509-636 [91-116]. With frequent in-text illustrations. Publisher's pale blue paper covers titled and illustrated in dark blue, stapled twice, and priced at 6d. Presented in a black fleece-lined..... More
Chicago, IL: HMH Publishing Company, July 1967. [Men's Magazine] ORIGINAL MAGAZINE. Quarto (28 x 22cm), pp.178. Illustrated throughout. Publisher's colour-illustrated paper covers, with two staples to the spine, priced at 75c. Light wear and a little spotting to covers. Very good. Including an interview with Michael Caine, and 'Uckridge Starts..... More
London: Alston Rivers, 1909. [Satire/humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (17 x 12cm). Pp. 122; [6], advertisements. With illustrations. In an elegant vintage binding of quarter native red morocco over patterned paper covered sides, leather-tipped corners, gilt titles and decoration to spine, original colour-printed wraps bound in, marbled endpapers. A lovely fine..... More
New York, NY: D. Appleton and Company, 1915. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[6]; 347; [3]. With four photogravure plates after F.R. Gruger, including a frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board, green and gilt scarab devices to upper board. Textblock..... More
London: Galahad Books, 1993. [Humour and Satire] FINELY BOUND OMNIBUS LIMITED EDITION. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.[8] x; 51 [3]; xii; 61 [3]; x; 51 [3]; xii; 22 [2]; x; 41 [1]; x; 16 [2]; xii; 48; xii; 31 [1]; x; 30; x; 40 [2]; xii; 22 [2]; x; 32..... More
London: George Newnes, May 1912. [Magazine Extract] FIRST APPEARANCE. Octavo pamphlet (23 x 16cm), pp.507-515 [1]. With in-text illustrations by Simpson. Leaves removed from a copy of The Strand Magazine and bound recently in brown paper, with a plain printed title label to upper, stapled twice. Fine. The first appearance..... More
New York, NY: Doubleday Doran and Company, Inc., 1932. [Classic Humour] FIRST ANTHOLOGY EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm). Publisher's pale green cloth blocked in dark green, pictorial dust-wrapper priced at $2.50. Jacket just a touch dusty and marginally sunned to spine else a particularly fine copy which appears to be..... More
New York, NY: George H. Doran Company, 1931. [Humour] FIRST US EDITION, early issue with 'Ganville' for 'Grenville' on copyright page, title appears to be a cancel, in 1932 [A.L. Burt] dust-wrapper. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[vi] 316. Publisher's orange cloth blocked in black, 'Doubleday Doran' imprint on spine, top..... More
New York: George H. Doran Company, 1925. [Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.323; [1], blank. Publisher's yellow cloth, titled in green to spine and upper board, decorative border to upper board. Pictorial dust-jacket with a image McIlvaine believed to be drawn by May Wilson Preston, printed price..... More
New York, NY: George H. Doran Company, 1924. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.323; [1]. Publisher's orange cloth with green titles to spine and upper board. With the illustrated dust-jacket, priced at $2. Old repair to rear hinge, textblock toned. Jacket toned with chips and closed..... More
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1938. [Jeeves and Wooster] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.312; [8 of advertisments]. Publisher's green cloth blocked in black to spine and boards, top edge tinted green, in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Fenwick, priced 7'6 on spine. Some spotting to edges, top edge tint not faded, faint thumb marks..... More
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1938. [Jeeves and Wooster] FIRST EDITION. Octavo(19 x 13cm), pp.312; [8], advertisments. Publisher's green cloth blocked in black to spine and boards, top edge tinted green, in pictorial dust-jacket designed by Fenwick, priced 7/6 on spine. Bookblock and covers clean, jacket with several chips and tears, some..... More
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1968. [Humour] FIRST EDITION INSCRIBED BY ETHEL WODEHOUSE. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp. 189; [3] blank. Publisher's green cloth titled in silver to spine, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Osbert Lancaster, priced at 21s. Inscribed by Ethel Wodehouse to flyleaf. Spotting to edges, a few corners folded to..... More