Jeeves: A Gentleman's Personal Gentleman

New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. 1981. First Edition; First Printing. Paperback. First Edition USA (1981) , unstated in accordance with St. Martin's Press' customary practice before 1982. Near Fine in Near Fine DJ: The Book shows faint but pervasive foxing to the outside edges and the very faintest musty odor (though we can find no evidence of exposure to dampness or any overt dampstaining) ; else flawless; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. Free of creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of underlining, hi-lighting, notations, or marginalia. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing a couple of minor cosmetic flaws. Bright and clean. Corners sharp. Very close to 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. (8.65 x 5.65 x 0.8 inches) . Language: English. Weight: 12.5 ounces. Black boards with gilt titles at the backstrip. First published in the UK by Macdonald and Jane's in 1979. Hardback with DJ. Cyril Northcote Parkinson (1909 – 1993) was a British naval historian and author of some 60 books, the most famous of which was his best-seller Parkinson's Law (1957) , in which he advanced his epnoymous 'law', stating that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion", an insight which led him - much to his own bemusement - to be regarded as an important scholar in public administration and management. He wrote two biographies of fictional characters, The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower, first published in 1970, and this one, a fictional biography of Bertie Wooster's loyal, omniscient valet. In it, Parkinson not only ties together a fairly complex narrative (based on the snippets we are given in the canon stories of Jeeves' career prior to encountering the young preux chevalier to whom he becomes both an indispensable right-hand man and - despite the barriers of the master/ servant relationship - his best friend) but draws to a satisfying close the story of these two lovable characters. Parkinson's style is that of a very assured, but now sadly rarely encountered creature - the exceptionally erudite narrator of leisurely but well-constructed tales, offering a proliferation of offhand references to literature and mythology - that is evocative of the very best writers of centuries earlier than the twentieth century. I am a fan of Parkinson's based on his other works, but this I personally believe to be his crowning achievement. The book consists of a masterful synthesis of his own inimitable style and that of the estimable P. G. Wodehouse; the combination is a pure and exquisite joy to read. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 191 pages .