Penguin First Editions :: Early First Edition Penguin Books

This series of books was commenced towards the end of the war, in the second half of 1945. These were all current books, printed in 1945, and then also produced for the armed services. They were re-bound in slightly altered covers - with a narrow stripe on the spine and in the central box of the cover above the words 'SERVICES EDITION'. Fifteen titles were produced, though the last number is SE18 as numbers SE14, SE16 and SE17 were not used. The final three books, SE13, SE15 and SE18 were printed in 1945 and it would appear that they were issued as 'Services Editions' ahead of publication to the public in January 1946.

Distribution of the books was handled by a government department, the Services Central Book Depot. This agency also received 'Services Editions' of books from other publishers.

The Services Editions covers generally have a narrow stripe on the spine and below the name of the author on the front cover, above the words 'SERVICES EDITION'. The original number of the book is replaced by the 'SE' pre-fix with the series number. However, a few titles were bound in standard covers - but have the SERVICES EDITION publication date behind the title page - these included Nos. 500, 506 and 508. Two of these are shown below.

Information and cover photographs of the PENGUIN SERVICES EDITIONS series:

Number: SE1	Series No.: SE1 Title: TOGETHER Author: Norman Douglas Original Edition: Main Series No. 502, Travel and Adventure First Published by Penguin: March 1945 Pages: 128pp. Printer: Wyman and Sons Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.) The number does not appear on the spine
Number: SE2	Series No.: SE2 Title: ESCAPE TO SWITZERLAND Author: G. R. de Beer Original Edition: Main Series No. 490, Travel and Adventure First Published by Penguin: June 1945 Pages: 160pp. Printer: Wyman and Sons Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.)
Number: SE3	Series No.: SE3 Title: PERSONS AND PERIODS Author: G. D. H. Cole Original Edition: Pelican No. A146 First Published by Penguin: October 1945 Pages: 176pp. Printer: Wyman and Sons Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.)
Number: SE4	Series No.: SE4 Title: THE ISLAND OF CAPTAIN SPARROW Author: S. Fowler Wright Original Edition: Main Series No. 507, Fiction First Published by Penguin: July 1945 Pages: 192pp. Printer: Wyman and Sons Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.)
Number: SE5	Series No.: SE5 Title: LADY HESTER STANHOPE Author: Joan Haslip Original Edition: Main Series No. 505, Biography First Published by Penguin: June 1945 Pages: 240pp. Printer: Hazell, Watson and Viney Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: 9d.
Number: SE6	Series No.: SE6 Title: THE MANAGERIAL REVOLUTION or, What is happening in the world now Author: James Burnham Original Edition: Pelican No. A140 First Published by Penguin: May 1945 (printed April 1945) Pages: 240pp. Printer: Hazell, Watson and Viney Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: 9d.
Number: SE7	Series No.: SE7 Title: GOODBYE TO BERLIN Author: Christopher Isherwood Original Edition: Main Series No. 504, Fiction First Published by Penguin: July 1945 Pages: 192pp. Printer: Hazell, Watson and Viney Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: 9d.
Number: SE8	Series No.: SE8 Title: A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN Author: Virginia Woolf Original Edition: Main Series No. 481, Essays and Belles Lettres First Published by Penguin: July 1945 Pages: 96pp. Printer: R. and R. Clark Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.)
Number: SE9	Series No.: SE9 Title: THE DIARY OF A NOBODY Authors: George and Weedon Grossmith Illustrations: by Weedon Grossmith Original Edition: Main Series No. 510, Fiction First Published by Penguin: August 1945 Pages: 176pp. Printer: Wyman and Sons Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.)
Number: SE10*	Series No.: SE10* Title: WITHIN THE TIDES Author: Joseph Conrad Original Edition: Main Series No. 506, Fiction First Published by Penguin: June 1945 Pages: 200pp. Printer: Eric Bemrose Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.) * The number SE10 appears on this book, and also on the next book by Emile Gaboriau. Presumably the latter book was intended to be SE11.
Number: SE10*	Series No.: SE10* Title: THE MYSTERY OF ORCIVAL (Translated from the French) Author: Emile Gaboriau Original Edition: Main Series No. 508, Fiction First Published by Penguin: October 1945 Pages: 272pp. Printer: Wyman and Sons Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.) * The number SE10 appears on this book, and the previous book by Joseph Conrad. Presumably the this book was intended to be SE11.
Number: SE12	Series No.: SE12 Title: READING FOR PROFIT Lectures on English Literature delivered in 1941, 1942 and 1943 to British Officers prisoners of war in Germany Author: Montgomery Belgion Original Edition: Pelican No. A151 First Published by Penguin: November 1945 Pages: 288pp. Printer: Hazell, Watson and Viney Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (9d.)
Number: SE13	Series No.: SE13 Title: CAUSE FOR ALARM Author: Eric Ambler Original Edition: Main Series No. 517, Crime Published by Penguin in main series: January 1946 Pages: 288pp. Printer: Hazell, Watson and Viney Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (1/-)
Number: SE14	Series No.: SE14 THIS NUMBER (No. SE14) WAS NOT USED.
Number: SE15	Series No.: SE15 Title: TRIALS IN BURMA Author: Maurice Collis Original Edition: Main Series No. 515, Biography Published by Penguin in main series: January 1946 Pages: 224pp. Printer: Hazell, Watson and Viney Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (1/-)
Number: SE16	Series No.: SE16 THIS NUMBER (No. SE16) WAS NOT USED.
Number: SE17	Series No.: SE17 THIS NUMBER (No. SE17) WAS NOT USED.
Number: SE18	Series No.: SE18 Title: THE ODYSSEY Author: Homer Translation: by E. V. Rieu Series Editor: E. V. Rieu Original Edition: Penguin Classics Series No. L1 Published by Penguin in Classics series: January 1946 Pages: 384pp. Printer: R. and R. Clark Ltd Published in this edition: second half of 1945 Price: (1/-)
Number:500	Series No.: 500 (SE) Title: MAJOR BARBARA Author: George Bernard Shaw Original Edition: Main Series No. 500, Plays First Published by Penguin (in Services Edition): 1945 Published by Penguin (in Main Series): July 1946 Pages: 176pp. Printer: R. and R. Clark Ltd This format: *This book contains the date as SERVICES EDITION 1945* but has the standard Penguin main series cover. Price: 1/-** [Copy of this book at Stirling University, Mitchell Collection]
Number:506 (SE10)	Series No.: 506 (SE10) Title: WITHIN THE TIDES Author: Joseph Conrad Original Edition: Main Series No. 506, Fiction First Published by Penguin: June 1945 Pages: 200pp. Printer: Eric Bemrose Ltd This format: *This book contains the date as SERVICES EDITION 1945* but has the standard Penguin main series cover. Clearly some books destined for the Services Edition were bound with the main run. Price: 9d.** [Copy of this book at Edinburgh University Library, Centre for Research Collections]

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