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First-Edition Identification · P.G. Wodehouse

Is My Ring for Jeeves a First Edition?

Herbert Jenkins, 1953

The points of issue

First printing. UK Herbert Jenkins edition (22 April 1953) is the true first. Issued in the US under the title The Return of Jeeves by Simon & Schuster in 1954. Title point distinguishes the two markets.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder.

Is this the true first?

UK Herbert Jenkins is the true first (1953); the US Simon & Schuster issue appeared in 1954 under the title The Return of Jeeves. The only Jeeves novel without Bertie Wooster as narrator.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Differing US/UK titles; no book-club issue noted for the true first.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Ring for Jeeves a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: First printing. UK Herbert Jenkins edition (22 April 1953) is the true first. Issued in the US under the title The Return of Jeeves by Simon & Schuster in 1954. Title point distinguishes the two markets.

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 is the true first (1953); the US Simon & Schuster issue appeared in 1954 under the title The Return of Jeeves. The only Jeeves novel without Bertie Wooster as narrator.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Differing US/UK titles; no book-club issue noted for the true first.

I have a first edition of Ring for Jeeves — 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.

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