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.

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: April 1946 Pages: 192pp. Printed: in the USA Price: 25¢
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? The Memoirs of a Reno Judge Author: George H. Bartlett Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: July 1947 Printed: in the USA Price: 35¢
P19 (USA)	Series No.: P19 (USA) Title: GOOD READING: A Guide to the World's Best Books Edited: by Atwood Townsend Calligraphy design: by Miriam Woods Date Published: November 1947 Printed: in the USA Price: 35¢
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 Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: November 1946 Printed: in the USA Price: 35¢ Previously published as No. 613 Penguin Books (New York)
P22 (USA)	Series No.: P22 (USA) Title: RELIGION AND THE RISE OF CAPITALISM: A Historical Study Author: R. H. Tawney Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: November 1947 Printed: in the USA Price: 35¢
P23 (USA)	Series No.: P23 (USA) Title: HEREDITY, RACE AND SOCIETY Authors: L. C. Dunn and Th. Dobzhansky Cover design: by Robert Jonas Date Published: November 1947 Printed: in the USA Price: 35¢ 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¢

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