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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Small Bachelor by P.G. Wodehouse (Methuen, 1927) is identified by: First printing of the Methuen edition, London, published 28 April 1927. UK Methuen (28 April 1927) is the true first edition; the US Doran edition (17 June 1927) is the first American edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the Methuen edition, London, published 28 April 1927
- The US George H. Doran edition followed on 17 June 1927, so the UK Methuen edition is the true first — the original record's suggestion that the US may precede is incorrect
- The novel is based on the Bolton/Wodehouse/Kern musical 'Oh, Lady! Lady!!'
- Publisher imprint reads Methuen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.G. Wodehouse |
| Publisher | Methuen |
| Year | 1927 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the Methuen edition, London, published 28 April 1927 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of the Methuen edition, London, published 28 April 1927. The US George H. Doran edition followed on 17 June 1927, so the UK Methuen edition is the true first — the original record's suggestion that the US may precede is incorrect. The novel is based on the Bolton/Wodehouse/Kern musical 'Oh, Lady! Lady!!'

## Is this the true first?
UK Methuen (28 April 1927) is the true first edition; the US Doran edition (17 June 1927) is the first American edition. Earlier uncertainty about US precedence is resolved in favor of the UK.

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

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