# Is "Cocktail Time" by P.G. Wodehouse a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cocktail Time by P.G. Wodehouse (Herbert Jenkins, 1958) is identified by: First edition, first impression, an Uncle Fred novel published 20 June 1958 by Herbert Jenkins, London, preceding the US Simon & Schuster edition of 24 July 1958. UK Herbert Jenkins edition (20 June 1958) is the true first, about a month ahead of the US Simon & Schuster edition (24 July 1958).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first impression, an Uncle Fred novel published 20 June 1958 by Herbert Jenkins, London, preceding the US Simon & Schuster edition of 24 July 1958
- The first-issue binding is red cloth with the spine lettered in black; a same-year reissue in blue cloth with gilt spine lettering is a secondary state, and an uncommon light-green cloth variant is also recorded
- The pictorial dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap, though copies are frequently found price-clipped
- Publisher imprint reads Herbert Jenkins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.G. Wodehouse |
| Publisher | Herbert Jenkins |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first impression, an Uncle Fred novel published 20 June 1958 by Herbert Jenkins, London, preceding the US Simon & Schuster… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first impression, an Uncle Fred novel published 20 June 1958 by Herbert Jenkins, London, preceding the US Simon & Schuster edition of 24 July 1958. Octavo. The first-issue binding is red cloth with the spine lettered in black; a same-year reissue in blue cloth with gilt spine lettering is a secondary state, and an uncommon light-green cloth variant is also recorded. The pictorial dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap, though copies are frequently found price-clipped.

## Is this the true first?
UK Herbert Jenkins edition (20 June 1958) is the true first, about a month ahead of the US Simon & Schuster edition (24 July 1958). Within the UK printing, red cloth with black spine lettering precedes the blue-cloth gilt-lettered reissue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cocktail Time* by P.G. Wodehouse a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cocktail-time
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.