The points of issue
First printing in publisher's cloth. A collection of nine short stories. The title under which these stories appeared as a book is unique to the UK Herbert Jenkins edition (19 March 1937). The US Doubleday, Doran collection titled The Crime Wave at Blandings (25 June 1937) is a substantially different gathering, sharing only some of the contents, so this is a contents difference as well as a title difference.
Is this the true first?
UK Herbert Jenkins under the title Lord Emsworth and Others is the true first for this title; no identically titled US edition exists. The related US collection The Crime Wave at Blandings has different contents.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The US and UK collections carry different titles and different contents; they are not the same book in different jackets.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Lord Emsworth and Others a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing in publisher's cloth. A collection of nine short stories. The title under which these stories appeared as a book is unique to the UK Herbert Jenkins edition (19 March 1937). The US Doubleday, Doran collection titled The Crime Wave at Blandings (25 June 1937) is a substantially different gathering, sharing only some of the contents, so this is a contents difference as well as a title difference.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Herbert Jenkins under the title Lord Emsworth and Others is the true first for this title; no identically titled US edition exists. The related US collection The Crime Wave at Blandings has different contents.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The US and UK collections carry different titles and different contents; they are not the same book in different jackets.
I have a first edition of Lord Emsworth and Others — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.