# Is "Nothing Serious" by P.G. Wodehouse a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nothing Serious by P.G. Wodehouse (Herbert Jenkins, 1950) is identified by: Herbert Jenkins, London, 21 July 1950, is the true first: an octavo of 254 pages plus a terminal Wodehouse catalogue leaf, bound in publisher's orange cloth with black titling to the spine and upper board. UK Herbert Jenkins (21 July 1950) is the true first; the US Doubleday edition followed on 24 May 1951.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Herbert Jenkins, London, 21 July 1950, is the true first: an octavo of 254 pages plus a terminal Wodehouse catalogue leaf, bound in publisher's orange cloth with black titling to the spine and upper board
- The pictorial dust jacket is by Frank Ford and should retain its printed net price on the front flap (present regardless of any later clipping)
- A collection of ten short stories, including Drones Club, Oldest Member golf, Blandings, and Ukridge tales
- Publisher imprint reads Herbert Jenkins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.G. Wodehouse |
| Publisher | Herbert Jenkins |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Herbert Jenkins, London, 21 July 1950, is the true first: an octavo of 254 pages plus a terminal Wodehouse catalogue leaf, bound in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Herbert Jenkins, London, 21 July 1950, is the true first: an octavo of 254 pages plus a terminal Wodehouse catalogue leaf, bound in publisher's orange cloth with black titling to the spine and upper board. The pictorial dust jacket is by Frank Ford and should retain its printed net price on the front flap (present regardless of any later clipping). A collection of ten short stories, including Drones Club, Oldest Member golf, Blandings, and Ukridge tales.

## Is this the true first?
UK Herbert Jenkins (21 July 1950) is the true first; the US Doubleday edition followed on 24 May 1951.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue affecting the UK true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nothing Serious* by P.G. Wodehouse a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nothing-serious
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.