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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Pothunters by P.G. Wodehouse (Adam & Charles Black, 1902) is identified by: First printing of Wodehouse's first book, a school story set at St. UK A & C Black is the true first (18 September 1902); the US Macmillan edition followed (commonly dated 1924).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of Wodehouse's first book, a school story set at St
- Austin's, published by Adam & Charles Black on 18 September 1902
- Bound in original blue cloth, the covers and spine stamped in silver with a loving-cup design on the upper board and spine; illustrated with plates by R. Noel Pocock
- A genuine first with no later-printing indicators
- Very scarce, and rarely found in fine collectable condition
- Publisher imprint reads Adam & Charles Black
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.G. Wodehouse |
| Publisher | Adam & Charles Black |
| Year | 1902 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of Wodehouse's first book, a school story set at St |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of Wodehouse's first book, a school story set at St. Austin's, published by Adam & Charles Black on 18 September 1902. Bound in original blue cloth, the covers and spine stamped in silver with a loving-cup design on the upper board and spine; illustrated with plates by R. Noel Pocock. A genuine first with no later-printing indicators. Very scarce, and rarely found in fine collectable condition.

## Is this the true first?
UK A & C Black is the true first (18 September 1902); the US Macmillan edition followed (commonly dated 1924).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue; a key early rarity. Confirm the original blue cloth with the silver loving-cup design and Pocock plates as first-issue binding points.

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