# Is "The Old Reliable" by P.G. Wodehouse a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Old Reliable by P.G. Wodehouse (Herbert Jenkins, 1951) is identified by: First printing of the UK Herbert Jenkins edition, published 18 April 1951, London. UK Herbert Jenkins is the true first, published 18 April 1951; the US Doubleday edition followed on 11 October 1951.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the UK Herbert Jenkins edition, published 18 April 1951, London
- Bound in original orange cloth with titles stamped in black on the spine and front cover
- 233 pages followed by a leaf of publisher's advertisements
- A first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (a clipped flap does not by itself disqualify a first)
- The UK Jenkins printing precedes the US Doubleday edition, which followed on 11 October 1951
- Publisher imprint reads Herbert Jenkins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.G. Wodehouse |
| Publisher | Herbert Jenkins |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the UK Herbert Jenkins edition, published 18 April 1951, London |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of the UK Herbert Jenkins edition, published 18 April 1951, London. Bound in original orange cloth with titles stamped in black on the spine and front cover; 233 pages followed by a leaf of publisher's advertisements. A first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (a clipped flap does not by itself disqualify a first). The UK Jenkins printing precedes the US Doubleday edition, which followed on 11 October 1951.

## Is this the true first?
UK Herbert Jenkins is the true first, published 18 April 1951; the US Doubleday edition followed on 11 October 1951.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Old Reliable* by P.G. Wodehouse a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-old-reliable
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.