"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. "
— Oscar Wilde
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.
Company for Henry.
London, Herbert Jenkins Ltd., 1967. [Classic Humour] FIRST UK EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.222; [2], blank. Publisher's orange cloth titled in white to spine in an amusing pictorial dust-jacket designed by Osbert Lancaster, priced at 21s. No inscriptions, edges a little spotted, jacket lightly worn with the..... More
A Damsel in Distress.
London: Herbert Jenkins, [No date]. [Humour/satire] EARLY EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.319 [1]. Publisher's blue cloth, black titles to upper board and spine. Herbert Jenkins logo blocked in black to lower board. Spine rebacked. Interior heavily toned due to cheaper paper stock. Covers moderately toned/marked/stained. Good. An early comedic..... More
Doctor Sally.
London: Methuen, 1932. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[4] 156; 8. Publisher's blue cloth with black titles to upper and spine. With the pictorial dust-jacket. Advertisements to rear. Interior lightly toned and faintly foxed throughout. Previous ownership inscription in black ink to flyleaf, small booksellers label to..... More
Enter Psmith.
New York, NY: The Macmillan Company, no date [1935]. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Using the British sheets. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.viii; 247; [1]. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine, pictorial dust-jacket illustrated by Anderson. Reading lean, textblock browned. Jacket with some rubbing to edges, and chips..... More
A Few Quick Ones (with a Jeeves & Wooster story).
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1959. [Comedy short stories] FIRST US EDITION, preceding the UK edition. Crown octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.213; [1], blank; [1], Note; [1], blank. Publisher's quarter cloth hardcovers, top edge pink, yellow endpapers, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Paul Bacon. A clean fine copy of the..... More
French Leave.
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1959. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.[6]; 213; [5]. Publisher's blue cloth with darker blue titles to spine and a small illustration to the lower corner of the upper board. Top edge yellow. With the green dust-jacket illustrated..... More
A Gentleman of Leisure.
London: Alston Rivers Ltd., 1910. [Modern fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.vi; 351 [1]. An early title in the first issue binding of navy blue cloth lettered in gilt (second issue is red cloth lettered in black). Contents clean, ownership to pastedown. A used copy with flyleaf discreetly replaced, cloth rubbed..... More
The Girl in Blue.
London: Barrie and Jenkins, 1970. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.191; [1]. Publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt to spine, pictorial dust-jacket with a photograph of the author to back with printed price of 26s/£1.30 to front flap. Very slight rolling to spine, sunning to..... More
The Head of Kay's.
London: A and C Black, 1905 (actually 1910). [Boys stories] VINTAGE COPY. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.280. This is the 1910 reissue. Illustrated with eight full-page plates. Publisher's red cloth blocked in colours. Copyright page states "First Published October 1905". Lacks one plate, facing p.96 'Kennedy dropped his rifle and..... More
Ice in the Bedroom.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1961. [Modern literature] FIRST EDITION, primary binding. Crown octavo, (19 x 13cm), pp.223; [1], advertisement. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine in pictorial dust-jacket lettered in yellow and white to both spine and upper. No inscriptions, a few minor spots to edges. Price-clipped jacket is..... More
Ice in the Bedroom.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1961. [Modern literature] FIRST EDITION, primary binding. Crown octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.223; [1], advertisement. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine in pictorial dust-jacket lettered in yellow and white to both spine and upper, priced at 13/6. Jeeves related news-clipping tucked in. No inscriptions, book..... More
If I Were You.
Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., 1931. [Humour] FIRST EDITION. This edition preceding the UK publication. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[vi]; 305; [I] blank. Publisher's orange cloth titled in brown to spine and upper board, pictorial dust-jacket drawn by Henrietta Starrett, with printed price of $2.00. Endpapers lightly..... More
If I Were You.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1931. [Humour] FIRST UK EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.280; [8], advertisements. Bound in publisher's orange cloth, titles in black with black rule to upper board, black titles and publisher's imprint to spine, repeat imprint to lower board. Internally clean, with some spotting to prelims..... More
If I Were You.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1931. [Humour] FIRST UK EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.280 [8]. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine and upper, and black ruling. Light toning and spotting throughout, with a large tear to p.41/42, repaired with archival tape. Moderate general wear to spine. Good..... More
The Inimitable Jeeves.
London: Herbert Jenkins, [1940s]. [Humour] Vintage hardback. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.255; [1], blank. Publisher's orange cloth blocked in black, in pictorial dust-jacket, priced 2/6 on spine. Ninth printing. Page edges a little toned, jacket with some minor chips and tears, large loss to crown. Very good indeed. The second..... More
Jeeves and The Feudal Spirit.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1954. [Classic Humour] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] 222 [4]. Recently re-bound in burgundy half morocco, with gilt titles to spine, raised bands, and matching cloth over boards. Some toning to edges, otherwise a crisp, clean copy in an attractive new leather..... More
Jeeves and The Feudal Spirit.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1954. [Classic Humour] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] 222 [4]. Ellegantly hand-bound in half deep pink calf, with gilt titles to spine, raised bands, and matching cloth over boards, original titled cloth spine bound in at rear. Very faint spots to edges..... More
Jeeves and The Feudal Spirit.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1954. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] 222 [4]. Publisher's red cloth lettered in black, pictorial dust-jacket priced at 9/6. Contents and page edges clean and fresh, no ink names, jacket with some wear to extremities, few small chips etc. More adventures of Wodehouse's..... More
Jeeves in the Offing.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1960. [Classic Humour] FIRST UK EDITION, first impression, second issue, with corrected half-title. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.205 [3]. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the illustrated dust-jacket. Gently toned throughout, with moderate toning to edges, otherwise internally crisp and clean. Cloth spine faded..... More
Jeeves Omnibus.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1931. [Classic humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.847; [1], blank. Publisher's green cloth blocked in black, in pictorial dust-jacket by Abbey, priced 7/6 on spine. An exceptionally crisp, fine copy in a near fine wrapper with one tear to upper, minor edge wear..... More
The Little Nugget.
New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, [1915]. [Humour / Satire] EARLY EDITION, a reissue. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[4] 300. With an illustrated black and white half-tone frontispiece. Publisher's light brown cloth with maroon titles and decoration to spine and upper. A very light blue ink ownership to front..... More
Lord Emsworth and Others.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1937. [Classic humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.312 [8]. Advertisements to rear. Publisher's red cloth, black titles to upper and spine. Publisher's black logo to lower. With the pictorial dust-jacket. Top edge red. Interior moderately toned but clean, with light offsetting to endpapers..... More
The Luck of the Bodkins.
Boston, MA: Little, Brown, and Company, 1936. [Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[4]; 298. Publisher's green cloth, titled and decorated in black to spine and upper board, pictorial dust-jacket priced at $2.00. Top edge dusty else very good in similar dust-wrapper, rubbed to extremities and with an..... More
The Mating Season.
London: Herbert Jenkins, no date [1948]. [Classic Humour] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] 246 [4]. Recently re-bound in tan half calf, with gilt titles to spine, raised bands, and matching cloth over boards. Some toning to edges, otherwise a crisp, clean copy in an attractive new..... More
Mike At Wrykyn.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1953. [Boys' adventure story] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.189; [1], blank; [2], advertisements. Publisher's red cloth lettered in black, in pictorial dust-wrapper. No inscriptions, contents clean. A fine copy of the book in a lovely fine jacket with minor dustiness to rear panel, price clipped..... More