"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
— Groucho Marx
P. G. Wodehouse (Pelham Grenville Wodehouse) | First Editions
1881 - 1975
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.
The Cecil Aldin Book.
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 about The Cecil Aldin Book
— And The Greeks.
London: Geoffrey Bles, 1930. [Society] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 17cm), pp.224. With 13 illustrations by De Junosza-Rosciszewski, including a frontispiece. Publisher's yellow cloth with blue titles to spine and upper board. Fore and lower edges untrimmed. With the illustrated dust-jacket, priced at 7/6. Bookseller's ticket to pastedown, light spotting... More about — And The Greeks
The Play's the Thing.
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 about The Play's the Thing
!["Q.Q." Detective Stories [in] The Strand Magazine. Volumes 68 and 69, numbers 405 to 408, and...](/pictures/thumb/51492.jpg?v=1530544479)
"Q.Q." Detective Stories [in] The Strand Magazine. Volumes 68 and 69, numbers 405 to 408, and 412 to 413.
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 about "Q.Q." Detective Stories [in] The Strand Magazine. Volumes 68 and 69, numbers 405 to...
![The Land of Mist [in] The Strand Magazine. Volumes 70 and 71, numbers 415 to 423. Arthur Conan...](/pictures/thumb/51488.jpg?v=1537875191)
The Land of Mist [in] The Strand Magazine. Volumes 70 and 71, numbers 415 to 423.
London: George Newnes, July 1925 to March 1926. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Nine parts in their original colour illustrated paper covers. Octavo (25 x 17cm). Presented in a quarter navy blue morocco clamshell box, with gilt titles to spine, raised bands and a fleece lining. Wear, rubbing and small losses... More about The Land of Mist [in] The Strand Magazine. Volumes 70 and 71, numbers 415 to 423
The Strand Magazine: My Sword For Lafayette, The Lost Bowlers, etc.
London: George Newnes, March-November 1905. Nine magazines, in clamshell box (29 x 20 x 13cm). Small tear to the rear cover of the June issue, else a particularly clean set. Very good. This run includes the complete serial of Pemberton's historical novel plus stand-alone stories by Richard Marsh, P.G.Wodehouse and... More about The Strand Magazine: My Sword For Lafayette, The Lost Bowlers, etc
![Sergeant Sir Peter's Cases [and] Jeeves and the Spot of Art [and] Jeeves and the Kid Clementia...](/pictures/thumb/51463.jpg?v=1535556522)
Sergeant Sir Peter's Cases [and] Jeeves and the Spot of Art [and] Jeeves and the Kid Clementia [and] Jeeves and the Old School Chum [and] Indian Summer of an Uncle [and] Tuppy Changes His Mind [and] Gala Night [in] The Strand Magazine.
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 about Sergeant Sir Peter's Cases [and] Jeeves and the Spot of Art [and] Jeeves and the Kid Clementia...
Sunset at Blandings.
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1977. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[6]; 216; [2]. With occasional small illustrations and maps by Ionicus. Orange endpapers. Publisher's brown mottled cloth with white titles to spine and a white illustration to the upper board. With the dust-jacket illustrated... More about Sunset at Blandings
![Noblesse Oblige [and] Good-Bye to All Cats [in] the Strand Magazine. Volume 88. P. G. WODEHOUSE,...](/pictures/thumb/50328.jpg?v=1534949575)
Noblesse Oblige [and] Good-Bye to All Cats [in] the Strand Magazine. Volume 88.
London: George Newnes, July to December 1934. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES, a rare issue. Large octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.viii; 672. With many lithographic illustrations. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt to spine, and black titles to spine and upper board, with distinctive 'Strand' scene. All edges flecked red. Textblock sitting... More about Noblesse Oblige [and] Good-Bye to All Cats [in] the Strand Magazine. Volume 88
Bachelors Anonymous.
London: Barrie and Jenkins, 1973. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Crown octavo (19 x 13cm). Pp.191; [1], blank. Publisher's green cloth titled in gilt to spine in an amusing pictorial dust-jacket designed by Osbert Lancaster. Edges dusty/toned. A very good copy in a fine wrapper with usual laminate shrinkage. More about Bachelors Anonymous
Lord Emsworth And Others.
London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 1937. [Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, (19 x 13cm), pp.312; [8], advertisements and reviews. Red half morocco over original red cloth sides titled in black, gilt-lettered to spine, raised bands. Contents clean, covers a little marked. A near fine copy in an attractive recent binding. Wodehouse comedy... More about Lord Emsworth And Others
Meet Mr. Mulliner.
New York, NY: Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1928. [Humour / Satire] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[10]; 308; [2]. Publisher's orange cloth with red titles to spine and upper board. Light browning to textblock, gift inscription to front free endpaper dated 13th April 1928. Light wear and sunning to spine. Very good. More about Meet Mr. Mulliner
![Psmith, Journalist [In] The Captain: A Magazine for Boys and "Old Boys" Vol. XXII. P. G. WODEHOUSE](/pictures/thumb/51273.jpg?v=1528213518)
Psmith, Journalist [In] The Captain: A Magazine for Boys and "Old Boys" Vol. XXII.
London: George Newnes, Limited, 1909-1910. [Periodical] FIRST APPEARANCE OF PSMITH, JOURNALIST. Quarto (24 x 19cm), pp.iv; 576. Publisher's red cloth, blocked in black, gilt, red and white to spine and upper, edges speckled red. Very slight toning to the textblock, more so to the margins, some browning to endpapers, textblock... More about Psmith, Journalist [In] The Captain: A Magazine for Boys and "Old Boys" Vol. XXII
The Swoop! Or, How Clarence Saved England.
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 about The Swoop! Or, How Clarence Saved England
Methuen's Library of Humour: P.G. Wodehouse.
London: Methuen and Co., 1934. [Humour Anthology] FIRST EDITION THUS. Octavo (17 x 12cm), pp.vi; 153 [1]. Publisher's brown cloth with gilt titles to spine and blind stamp to upper board. With the illustrated dust-jacket, priced at 2/6. Some dustiness top top edge. Marginally short jacket toned to spine with... More about Methuen's Library of Humour: P.G. Wodehouse
Bring on the Girls! The Improbable Story of Our Life in Musical Comedy, with Pictures to Prove It.
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1953. [Biography] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[24] 278 [2]. With a section of black and white photographs preceding the main text. Inscribed "To Lawrence and Armina, | with fond greetings | from | Guy, | To which is added | a.... More about Bring on the Girls! The Improbable Story of Our Life in Musical Comedy, with Pictures to Prove It
Bring on the Girls! The Improbable Story of Our Life in Musical Comedy, with Pictures to Prove It.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1954. [Biography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.244. With sixteen pages of monochrome photographs. Publisher's cloth in photographic dust-wrapper. A very good copy in similar price-clipped wrapper with a few chips along top edge. More about Bring on the Girls! The Improbable Story of Our Life in Musical Comedy, with Pictures to Prove It
The Prince and Betty.
New York, NY: W.J. Watt and Company, 1912. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[8]; 300. With occasional lithographic plates including a frontispiece, as well as an illustrated vignette title page. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board, with two chromolithographic roundels laid... More about The Prince and Betty
Something New.
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 about Something New
The Uncollected Wodehouse.
New York, NY: a Continuum Book, the Seabury Press, 1976. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xiv; 212; [2]. Publisher's blue cloth, silver titles to spine, dust-jacket designed by Donya Melanson Associates with printed price of $8.95. Cloth lightly handled, some toning and rubbing to wrapper edges. Near... More about The Uncollected Wodehouse
The Eighteen-carat Kid, and Other Stories.
New York, NY: Continuum, 1980. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xii; 163; [1]. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, dust-jacket. with printed price of $10.95. Edited and introduced by David A. Jasen. Lightly handled. Fine. Four short stories never before published in the US. More about The Eighteen-carat Kid, and Other Stories
Piccadilly Jim.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1917. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[12]; 363; [3]. With eight dichromatic plates by Preston, including a frontispiece. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine and upper board. With a promotional photograph of Madge Evans and Robert Montgomery in... More about Piccadilly Jim
Mike.
London: Adam and Charles Black, 1909. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.ix; [3]; 339; [1]. Publisher's pictorial green cloth. With 12 full page plates by Whitwell. With a clipped early Wodehouse signature loosely inserted. Endpapers slightly browned. Five of the plates have minimal paper restoration to margins. Text-block is good and bright... More about Mike
The Adventures of Sally.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1923. FIRST EDITION. Crown octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.312, [8], advertisements, this issue/printing with 12 books list on back of half-title. Elegantly hand-bound in half deep red oasis morocco over original pictorial cloth sides, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands. Some occasional foxing, exterior is... More about The Adventures of Sally
Autograph Letter, Signed. With Signed photograph.
New York, 1973. Typed letter from author P.G.Wodehouse at his Long Island, NY, home, February 1973, to a fan in Glasgow, Scotland. The author mentions a new book that he is writing, to be finished in the spring, which is most likely 'Batchelors Anonymous' which was published in October. Elegantly... More about Autograph Letter, Signed. With Signed photograph