Uncle Fred in the Springtime

Or as he crisply puts it, 'There are no limits, literally none, to what I can achieve in the springtime.'Even so, his gifts are stretched to the limit when he is urged by Lord Emsworth to save his prize pig, the Empress of Blandings, from the enforced slimming cure of the haughty Duke of Dunstable.

P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) is widely regarded as the greatest comic writer of the 20th century. Wodehouse wrote more than 70 novels and 200 short stories, creating numerous much-loved characters - the inimitable Jeeves and Wooster, Lord Emsworth and his beloved Empress of Blandings, Mr Mulliner, Ukridge, and Psmith. His humorous articles were published in more than 80 magazines, including Punch, over six decades. He was also a highly successful music lyricist, once with over five musicals running on Broadway simultaneously. P.G. Wodehouse was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for 'an outstanding and lasting contribution to the happiness of the world'.

"It's dangerous to use the word genius to describe a writer, but I'll risk it with him" -- John Humphrys "For as long as I'm immersed in a P.G. Wodehouse book, it's possible to keep the real world at bay and live in a far, far nicer, funnier one where happy endings are the order of the day" -- Marian Keyes "Wodehouse always lifts your spirits, no matter how high they happen to be already" -- Lynne Truss "The incomparable and timeless genius - perfect for readers of all ages, shapes and sizes!" -- Kate Mosse "Not only the funniest English novelist who ever wrote but one of our finest stylists" -- Susan Hill