Penguin First Editions :: Early First Edition Penguin Books

Penguin began its own American imprint in 1942, having opened its New York Office Penguin Books (New York) in 1940. After the war, it established its own series of PELICAN BOOKS, and went on to produce 25 volumes between 1946 and 1948 before transferring the Series to the 'New American Library of World Literature Inc.' - when it continued for a further 4 volumes (M26 - M29) as 'Pelican Mentor Books', before transferring completely to Mentor Books.

On this page are also listed the books printed by Penguin Books Inc., Baltimore, in the Plays by Bernard Shaw series. This began with Caesar and Cleopatra published in April 1951 as No. 1. The books initially had the look of the British plain cover versions.

The colophon used in this series is attributed to Elaine de Kooning.

Information and cover photographs of Pelican Books (New York) Series:

P1 (USA)	Series No.: P1 (USA) Title: PUBLIC OPINION Author: Walter Lippmann Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: January 1946 Pages: 324pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢
P2 (USA)	Series No.: P2 (USA) Title: PATTERNS OF CULTURE Author: Ruth Benedict Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: January 1946 Pages: 272pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢
P3 (USA)	Series No.: P3 (USA) Title: YOU AND MUSIC Author: Christian Darnton Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: January 1946 Pages: 180pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢
P4 (USA)	Series No.: P4 (USA) Title: THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF THE SUN Stellar Evolution and subatomic energy Author: George Gamow Illustrations: 16 pages of black-and-white photographs; figures in text Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: 1946 [printed date: December 1945] Pages: 220pp. + 16pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢
P5 (USA)	Series No.: P5 (USA) Title: AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE: ANTI-SEMITISM Author: James Parks Date Published: 1946 Pages: 154pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢
P6 (USA)	Series No.: P6 (USA) Title: WHAT HAPPENED IN HISTORY Author: V. Gordon Childe Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: March 1946 Pages: 280pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢ Image courtesy of Andrew Malin
P7 (USA)	Series No.: P7 (USA) Title: THE PHYSIOLOGY OF SEX Author: Kenneth Walker Date Published: March 1946 Pages: Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢ Image courtesy of Andrew Malin
P8 (USA)	Series No.: P8 (USA) Title: MATHEMATICIAN'S DELIGHT Author: W. W. Sawyer Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: March 1946 Pages: 216pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢ Additional material courtesy of Paul Lickiss
P9 (USA)	Series No.: P9 (USA) Title: THE WEATHER Authors: Raymond Bush and George Kimble Illustrations: 16 pages of black-and-white photographs Date Published: May 1946 Pages: 186pp. + 16pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢
P10 (USA)	Series No.: P10 (USA) Title: AMERICA'S ROLE IN THE WORLD ECONOMY Author: Alvin H. Hansen Date Published: 1946
P11 (USA)	Series No.: P11 (USA) Title: HEREDITY, RACE AND SOCIETY Authors: L. C. Dunn and Th. Dobzhansky Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: November 1946 Pages: 130pp. Printed: in the USA Later re-issued as P23
P12 (USA)	Series No.: P12 (USA) Title: THE STORY OF HUMAN BIRTH Author: Alan Frank Guttmacher Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: January 1947 Pages: 214pp. Printed: in the USA
P13 (USA)	Series No.: P13 (USA) Title: THOMAS JEFFERSON ON DEMOCRACY Author: Thomas Jefferson Edited: by Saul K. Padover Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: 1947 [printed date: 1946] Pages: 186pp. Printed: in the USA
P14 (USA)	Series No.: P14 (USA) Title: INTRODUCING SHAKESPEARE Author: G. B. Harrison Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: February 1947 Pages: 122pp. Printed: in the USA
P15 (USA)	Series No.: P15 (USA) Title: EMERSON: THE BASIC WRITINGS OF AMERICA'S SAGE Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson Edited: by Eduard C. Lindeman Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: 1947 Pages: 184pp. Printed: in the USA
P16 (USA)	Series No.: P16 (USA) Title: THE PERSONALITY OF ANIMALS Author: H. Munro Fox Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: April 1947 Pages: 120pp. Printed: in the USA
P17 (USA)	Series No.: P17 (USA) Title: HUMAN BREEDING AND SURVIVAL: Population Roads to Peace or War Authors: Guy Irving Burch and Elmer Pendell Foreword and Postscript: by Walter B. Pitkin Date Published: 1947 Pages: 144pp. Printed: in the USA
P18 (USA)	Series No.: P18 (USA) Title: IS MARRIAGE NECESSARY? Author: George H. Bartlett Date Published: 1947 Printed: in the USA
P19 (USA)	Series No.: P19 (USA) Title: GOOD READING Date Published: 1947 Printed: in the USA
P20 (USA)	Series No.: P20 (USA) Title: AN INTRODUCTION TO MODERN ARCHITECTURE Authors: Elizabeth B. Mock and J. M. Richards Illustration: 50 photographs on 32 pages Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: September 1947 Pages: 136pp. + 32pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 35¢
P21 (USA)	Series No.: P21 (USA) Title: THE ODYSSEY Author: Homer Translated: by E. V. Rieu Date Published: 1947 Printed: in the USA Previously published as No. 613 Penguin Books (New York)
P22 (USA)	Series No.: P22 (USA) Title: RELIGION AND THE RISE OF CAPITALISM Author: R. H. Tawney Date Published: 1947 Printed: in the USA
P23 (USA)	Series No.: P23 (USA) Title: HEREDITY, RACE AND SOCIETY Author: Th. Dobzhansky and L. C. Dunn Date Published: 1947 Printed: in the USA Previously published as P11
P24 (USA)	Series No.: P24 (USA) Title: SWEDEN: THE MIDDLE WAY Author: Marquis W. Childs Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: January 1948 Pages: 180pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 35¢
P25 (USA)	Series No.: P25 (USA) Title: PHILOSOPHY IN A NEW KEY: A study in the symbolism of reason, rite and art Author: Susanne K. Langer Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: 1948 Pages: 248pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 35¢ Last of the American books produced by 'Pelican Books (New York)'
M26 (USA)	Series transferred to the 'American Library of World Literature Inc.' and continued as PELICAN MENTOR BOOKS for Nos. M26 - M29. After that they were published simply as 'Mentor Books'. Series No.: M26 (USA) Title: Author: Date Published: 1948
Guide 1 (USA)	Series No.: G 1 (USA) Title: THE PENGUIN GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA Edited: by Carl Maas Illustration: with 33 photographs on 16 pages Date Published: July 1947 Pages: 128pp. + 16pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢
GBS1 (USA)	PLAYS by GEORGE BERNARD SHAW Series No.: GBS1 (USA) Title: CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: April 1951 (USA) Pages: 136pp. Printer: The Rumford Press Price: 25¢ Second image of a copy printed in February 1957 (price 50¢)
GBS2 (USA)	Series No.: GBS2 (USA) Title: PYGMALION Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: April 1951 (USA) Pages: 128pp. Printer: The Rumford Press Price: 25¢ Second image of copy printed in September 1956 (price 50¢)
GBS3 (USA)	Series No.: GBS3 (USA) Title: SAINT JOAN Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: April 1951 (USA) Pages: 192pp. Printer: The Rumford Press Price: 25¢
GBS4 (USA)	Series No.: GBS4 (USA) Title: MAJOR BARBARA - A Screen Version Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: April 1951 (USA) Pages: 160pp. Printer: The Rumford Press Price: 25¢ Image of September impression (price 35¢). Second image of a 1956 reprint, and third image of a copy printed in February 1957 (both price 50¢) Second image courtesy of Andrew Malin
GBS5 (USA)	Series No.: GBS5 (USA) Title: ANDROCLES AND THE LION: An old Fable Renovated by Bernard Shaw Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: September 1951 (USA) Pages: 160pp. Printer: The Rumford Press Price: 35¢
GBS6 (USA)	Series No.: GBS6 (USA) Title: ARMS AND THE MAN - A Pleasant Play Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: September 1952 (USA) Pages: 80pp. Printer: The Rumford Press Price: 35¢ Second image of the 1965 printing (price 50¢)
GBS7 (USA)	Series No.: GBS7 (USA) Title: CANDIDA - A Pleasant Play Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: September 1952 (USA) Pages: 80pp. Printer: The Rumford Press Price: 35¢ Second image of the November 1956 printing (price 35¢)
GBS8 (USA)	Series No.: GBS8 (USA) Title: MAN AND SUPERMAN: A Comedy and a Philosophy Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: October 1952 (USA) Pages: 288pp. Printer: The Colonial Press Inc. Price: 50¢
GBS9 (USA)	Series No.: GBS9 (USA) Title: THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA: A Tragedy Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: September 1954 (USA) Pages: 192pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 50¢
GBS10 (USA)	Series No.: GBS10 (USA) Title: THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: 1955 (USA) Pages: 94pp. Printed: in the USA Image of the 1958 printing (price 35¢)
GBS11 (USA)	Series No.: GBS11 (USA) Title: SEVEN ONE-ACT PLAYS - Overruled; The Man of Destiny; How He Lied to Her Husband; Passion, Poison, and Petrification; The Dark Lady of the Sonnets; The Admirable Bashville; Village Wooing Author: Bernard Shaw Foreword: by R. Martin Browne Date Published: 1958 (USA) Pages: 246pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 65¢
GBS12 (USA)	Series No.: GBS12 (USA) Title: THE APPLECART Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: 1956 (USA) Pages: 128pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 50¢
GBS13 (USA)	Series No.: GBS13 (USA) Title: THE MILLIONAIRESS Author: Bernard Shaw Cover: photograph shows still from the film by Twentieth Century-Fox starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers Date Published: 1961 (USA) Pages: 128pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 50¢
GBS14 (USA)	Series No.: GBS14 (USA) Title: PLAYS UNPLEASANT Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: 1961 (USA) Pages: 288pp. Printed: in Great Britain Price: 95¢
GBS15 (USA)	Series No.: GBS15 (USA) Title: BACK TO METHUSELAH Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: 1961 (USA) Pages: 320pp. Printed: in Great Britain Price: $1.25
GBS16 (USA)	Series No.: GBS16 (USA) Title: SELECTED ONE-ACT PLAYS (2 VOLS.) Author: Bernard Shaw Date Published: (USA) This book is listed as having been published in the USA by Penguin Books, Baltimore, Maryland.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: penguinfirsteditions.com gratefully acknowledges the kind permission of PENGUIN BOOKS LTD. (UK) to reproduce its book covers and, where incorporated, its various logos. We would remind users of this site that, as appropriate, Penguin Books Ltd. and its designers retain their copyright and/or intellectual property in the relevant material.