# Is "Sam the Sudden" by P.G. Wodehouse a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sam the Sudden by P.G. Wodehouse (Methuen, 1925) is identified by: First printing of the Methuen edition, London, published 15 October 1925 under the title 'Sam the Sudden.' The US edition (George H. UK Methuen (15 October 1925) is the true first edition; the US Doran edition (6 November 1925) was retitled 'Sam in the Suburbs.'

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the Methuen edition, London, published 15 October 1925 under the title 'Sam the Sudden.' The US edition (George H. Doran, 6 November 1925) carries the different title 'Sam in the Suburbs' — the title is the key distinguishing point between the two issues
- Publisher imprint reads Methuen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.G. Wodehouse |
| Publisher | Methuen |
| Year | 1925 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the Methuen edition, London, published 15 October 1925 under the title 'Sam the Sudden.' The US edition (George H. Doran… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing of the Methuen edition, London, published 15 October 1925 under the title 'Sam the Sudden.' The US edition (George H. Doran, 6 November 1925) carries the different title 'Sam in the Suburbs' — the title is the key distinguishing point between the two issues.

## Is this the true first?
UK Methuen (15 October 1925) is the true first edition; the US Doran edition (6 November 1925) was retitled 'Sam in the Suburbs.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The differing US and UK titles distinguish the two first issues; no separate book-club point of concern for the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sam the Sudden* by P.G. Wodehouse a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sam-the-sudden
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.