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The Story of Doctor Dolittle

Hugh Lofting

First published August 1920
Type Novel
Series Doctor Dolittle #1

  • Dates of the first 14, 15, 20, and 24 printings --to January 1932-- are provided on the copyright pages of those first editions with e-copies at HathiTrust Digital Library (HDL), reported below. The 39th printing, also from e-copy reported below, gives only its own date, August 1939.
  • HathiTrust Digital Library views. HDL provides full view of multiple copies, some with the original cover. The front covers of the 15th and 20th printings, linked below, match that displayed by Wikipedia as of 2016/2018 as "first edition". As of 2018-04-07: (catalog record as "Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1920") 4 copies: -- 14th printing (Stokes, 1923-08) from Harvard U; with "Introduction to the Tenth Printing" by Hugh Walpole, p.vii-xii (evidently 1922-11) -- 15th printing (Stokes, 1923-11) from U Virginia, with original cover, 15th -- 24th printing (Stokes, 1932-01) from U Virginia -- 54th printing (J.B. Lippincott, 1948 or later) from U California; with original cover (mis-catalogued as "1920, Dell") 1 copy: -- 20th printing (Stokes, 1927-05) from U Illinois; with original cover, 20th (mis-catalogued as 'Note: "Tenth printing, Nov. 28, 1922"--T.p. verso') 1 copy: -- 39th printing (Stokes, 1939-08) from Penn State U; with "Introduction to the Tenth Printing" by Hugh Walpole, p.vii-xii (evidently 1922-11)
  • Revised editions. The Story and its first sequel The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922) were revised for 1988 reissue in belated "centenary" editions (Delacorte Press, hc, and Dell Yearling, tp).   "The original Dolittle texts were marred by a sprinkling of gratuitous racial epithets. ... But these blemishes were all removed in an undated 52d printing of Story, from which I read to my two sons around 1970. A reference to 'darkies' had been altered to 'people', 'work with niggers' had become 'work hard', and several other unfortunate locutions had been rendered admirably innocuous. ..."   "The centenary edition's new excisions and revisions are far more extensive. The present editors obviously hope to obliterate every emotionally tinted word. Thus, though much of ''Story'' takes place in Africa, we hear no reference to skin coloration. ..." --Selma G. Lanes NY Times 1988-08-28 "Children's Books: Doctor Dolittle, Innocent Again" (linked above)
nytimes.com Wikipedia

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
August 1920 The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Frederick A. Stokes Company Novel
1922 The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of his Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Jonathan Cape Novel
1923 The Story of Doctor Dolittle McClelland & Stewart Novel
August 1923 The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Frederick A. Stokes Company Novel 1
November 1923 The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of his Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Frederick A. Stokes Company Novel
1948 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle J. B. Lippincott Novel
1967 Cover 二十一の気球, オズのまほう使い, ドリトル先生アフリカへいく 講談社 Omnibus |195
November 1967 The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of his Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Laurel-Leaf Library / Dell Novel 7
March 1968 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of his Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Laurel-Leaf Library / Dell Novel 7
1971 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Puffin / Penguin Books (UK) Novel
March 1974 The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of his Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Dell Yearling Novel 1
1976 二十一の気球, オズのまほう使い, ドリトル先生アフリカへいく 講談社 Omnibus |195
May 1988 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts (revised) Dell Yearling Novel
May 1988 The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts (revised) Delacorte Press Novel
April 1996 The Story of Doctor Dolittle Project Gutenberg Novel
September 1997 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Books of Wonder / William Morrow Novel 1
July 1998 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Tor Novel 1
November 2001 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Red Fox Novel 19
December 2004 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Dover Publications Novel |1
May 2005 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle HarperCollins Novel
April 2006 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle LibriVox Novel
December 2008 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Yearling Novel
April 2009 The Story of Doctor Dolittle Paw Prints Novel
July 2009 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Wildside Press Novel
March 2010 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Original Version Ishi Press Novel |1
April 2010 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Forgotten Books Novel
December 2011 Cover The Story Of Doctor Dolittle Jonathan Cape Novel
April 2012 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Bottom of the Hill Publishing Novel
November 2012 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle LibriVox Novel
January 2013 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Dover Publications Novel
July 2013 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle 1st World Publishing Novel
July 2013 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle 1st World Publishing Novel
August 2013 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle LibriVox Novel
September 2013 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Sterling Children's Books Novel
October 2013 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Vintage (UK) Novel
October 2013 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Vintage Digital Novel
2015 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Phoenix Recordings Novel
July 2017 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Open Road Integrated Media Novel
September 2018 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Macmillan UK Novel
November 2018 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Macmillan UK Novel
May 2019 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Racehorse for Young Readers Novel |1
November 2019 Cover Doctor Dolittle: The Complete Collection: Vol. 1 Aladdin Omnibus |2
November 2019 Cover Doctor Dolittle: The Complete Collection: Vol. 1 Aladdin Omnibus |2
November 2019 Cover Doctor Dolittle: The Complete Collection Aladdin Omnibus |2
November 2019 Cover Doctor Dolittle: The Complete Collection: Vol. 1 Aladdin Omnibus |2
November 2019 Cover Doctor Dolittle: The Complete Collection Aladdin Omnibus |2
December 2019 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Macmillan Children's Books Novel
December 2019 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Macmillan Children's Books Novel 1
February 2020 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Waking Lion Press Novel |1
April 2020 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Macmillan Children's Books Novel
February 2022 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle HarperCollins Children's Books Novel
September 2024 Cover The Story of Doctor Dolittle Wildside Press Novel