The Odyssey – Homer (Penguin Classics Services Edition, c.1946)

Homer · The Odyssey
Translated by E. V. Rieu
Penguin Classics No. 1 · Services Edition · c.1946

The very first title in the Penguin Classics series — and in its scarce Services Edition, issued to British armed forces during the post-war period. This variant is highly sought after by collectors of Penguin's early imprints and wartime publishing history.

Rieu's landmark prose translation, which launched the Penguin Classics library, remains one of the most acclaimed English renderings of Homer's epic. The back cover lists forthcoming titles 'In Preparation', including the Iliad, Dante's Divine Comedy translated by Dorothy L. Sayers, and Ibsen's plays — placing this copy at the very genesis of a publishing institution.

Condition: Good. Cover shows honest wear with rubbing to spine and corners, and light tanning to boards consistent with age. Text block appears complete and solid. A presentable and collectable copy of an extraordinary piece of twentieth-century publishing history.

Edition details:
Publisher: Penguin Books Limited, London and New York
Translation: E. V. Rieu (first published 1946)
Series: Penguin Classics No. 1
Variant: Services Edition
Binding: Paperback