"There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favourite book."
— Marcel Proust
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.
Money In the Bank.
London: Herbert Jenkins, no date [1946]. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine and upper. Some spotting, light soiling and marking, covers a little creased. A very good copy without jacket. A Wodehouse crime caper featuring the return of petty..... More
Mr. Mulliner Speaking.
London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, n.d. (1930s). Third Printing. Publisher's bright orange cloth with black titles, original pictorial jacket priced 2/6. Neat ownership to flyleaf. Edges spotted and toned, jacket with some chips tears and rubbing. Shows well. More
Mr. Mulliner Speaking.
London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, n.d. [c.1937]. [Humour] FIFTH PRINTING. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.320. Publisher's orange cloth, titles and decoration blocked in black to upper and spine. Herbert Jenkins device in black to lower. With the pictorial dust-jacket priced at 2/6 to backstrip. Internally clean, moderately toned. Rear flyleaf uncleanly..... More
Mulliner Omnibus.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1935. [Classic humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.864. Publisher's green cloth blocked in black, top edge coloured black. Minor bleed from topstain. A crisp, clean copy without wrapper. More
The Old Reliable.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1951. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.233; [3]. Publisher's bright orange cloth lettered in black to upper board and spine, illustrative dust-jacket with printed price of 9/6 to front flap. Toning to edges of textblock, rolling to spine, chipping to edges of dust-jacket and..... More
The Old Reliable.
New York, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1951. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[2]; 217; [5]. Publisher's light brown cloth with red titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Earl Oliver Hurst. Contents clean, no inscriptions, edges toned, jacket lightly used with some minor edge wear. Very..... More
Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin.
London: Barrie and Jenkins, 1972. [Humour / satire] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.192. Publisher's green cloth, gilt titles to spine, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Osbert Lancaster, with printed price £2.20. Internally bright and clean with some minor toning to top edge and neat ownership inscription to..... More
Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin.
London: Barrie and Jenkins, 1972. [Humour/satire] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 13cm), pp.191 [1]. Publisher's green cloth, gilt titles to spine. With the pictorial dust-jacket designed by Osbert Lancaster priced at £2.20 to front flap. Internally bright and clean, spotting to textblock top edge, some light marking to endpapers from..... More
Pigs Have Wings.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1952. [Classic Humour] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] 220 [4]. Recently re-bound in black half morocco, with gilt titles to spine, raised bands, and matching cloth over boards. Toning to edges, with spotting also to edges, and to the first / final few..... More
Pigs Have Wings.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1952. [Classic Humour] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] 220 [4]. Publisher's red cloth lettered in black, pictorial dust-jacket by 'Sax'. A very good copy in p/c jacket with a few small chips and tears, some minor rubs. Against a background of classic Wodehouse romance..... More
![Item #69153 Plum Pie [including Jeeves and the Greasy Bird]. P. G WODEHOUSE, Pelham Grenville](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/69153.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1723566566)
Plum Pie [including Jeeves and the Greasy Bird].
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1967. [Classic Humour] FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, first impression. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[2]; 252; [2], blank. Publisher's purple quarter cloth, blue paper over boards. Spine lettered in silver, silver plum illustration to upper board. With the illustrated dust-jacket designed by Lawrence Ratzkin with printed..... More
The Purloined Paperweight.
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1967. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.[2]; 188; [2]. Publisher's yellow quarter cloth with blue titles to spine and blue paper over boards, top edge yellow. With the dust-jacket illustrated in colour by Seymour Chwast priced $4.50. No inscriptions, contents..... More
Quick Service.
2024-05-08 11:28:33: London: Herbert Jenkins Limited, 1940. [Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.252; [4 list of Wodehouse titles]. Publisher's red cloth, titles in gilt to spine, top edge tinted red, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Fenwick, priced at 7/6 net. Ink name to front endpaper, textblock toned, cloth a...... More
The Return of Jeeves.
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1954. [Comedy] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.220. Publisher's beige quarter cloth over grey paper covered boards, titled in bronze to spine, top edge orange, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Dick Dodge priced $3.50. No inscriptions, contents clean, some shelf wear to runners..... More
Sam The Sudden.
London: Methuen, 1925. [Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.248; [8], advertisements. Publisher's yellow cloth lettered in black. No inscriptions. Contents clean, edges gently toned, cloth moderately used with some rubbing to the spine. Very good. In the ochre-coloured variant binding (not noted by McIlvaine). Most firsts were bound..... More
Service With a Smile.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1961. [Humour / Satire] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Crown octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's gilt-entitled red cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced at 13/6. Contents clean, no inscriptions, edges slightly spotted, jacket a touch worn to spine tips. A bright, near fine copy. A Blandings Castle classic..... More
The Small Bachelor.
New York, NY: George H. Doran Company, 1927. [Classic Humour] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.317; [3]. The true first with monogram printed to copyright page. Publisher's orange cloth with brown titles to spine and upper board. Contents fine; some moderate wear and bumping to binding, toning to..... More
The Small Bachelor.
New York, NY: A.L. Burt Company, no date [1928]. [Classic Humour] EARLY EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.317; [3]. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board, illustrated dust-jacket designed by Hartmann. Lightly browned throughout. Gilt to spine oxidised. Some light bruising chipping to wrapper edges, aome..... More
Spring Fever.
London: Herbert Jenkins, no date [1948]. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine and upper board. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Frank Ford priced 8/6. A crisp, clean, unread copy, with some minor rubs to jacket and a...... More
Summer Moonshine.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1938. [Classic Humour] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.312; [8]. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine and upper board. No inscriptions. A very good copy in gently handled, slightly soiled covers, with some toning to the spine. First British edition in book-form, following..... More
Summer Moonshine.
New York, NY: Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1937. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[10]; 322; [4]. Publisher's orange cloth, top edge green, others untrimmed, cream endpapers, dust-jacket illustrated by Roese priced at £2.00. Contents clean, no inscriptions, wrapper a little nicked, some rubs, sunned to spine. A...... More
Uncle Dynamite.
London: Herbert Jenkins, no date [1948]. [Classic humour] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.249 [3]. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine and upper board. With the colour-illustrated dust-jacket by Frank Ford priced at 8/6. Some spotting to edges, covers rather clean, jacket is used with a few..... More
Uncle Dynamite.
London: Herbert Jenkins, No date [1948]. [Classic Humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp. 49; [5]. Publisher's orange cloth lettered in black to front board and spine, humorous illustrative dust-jacket. Some toning and spotting to edges of textblock, scuffing to orange cloth, bumping to spine and corners..... More
Uncle Fred In The Springtime.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1939. [Humour] FIRST UK EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.311; [1], blank; [3], advertisements; [1], blank. Publisher's primary binding of burgundy cloth titled in gilt to spine (sheets later issued in orange cloth), pictorial dust-jacket designed by Fenwick, priced at 7/6. No inscriptions. Contents clean..... More
Uncle Fred In The Springtime.
London: Herbert Jenkins, 1939. [Humour] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.311; [1], blank; [3], advertisements; [1], blank. Publisher's burgundy cloth titled in gilt to spine, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Fenwick, priced at 7/6. Contents clean, no inscriptions, page edges lightly toned, jacket a touch darkened to spine..... More