People A Short Autobiography by Edgar Wallace First Edition Hodder & Stoughton 1926. No inscriptions. A VG+ copy in original VG dust jacket priced 7/6.

In People: A Short Autobiography, Edgar Wallace chronicles his whirlwind life from humble beginnings as a London slum child to literary titan. Born illegitimately in 1875, he recounts Fleet Street escapades as a war correspondent in gritty Boer War dispatches, parliamentary sketches rife with scandal, and the frenzied invention of thrillers that captivated millions. Amidst racing tips, aviation feats, and a penchant for high-stakes gambles, Wallace unveils the relentless drive fueling his 175 novels. This candid memoir brims with roguish wit, unvarnished truths, and the indomitable spirit of a self-made showman.

People: A Short Autobiography fascinates collectors as a scarce intimate portrait from Wallace's vast output, its posthumous candor a unique lens on the pulp maestro's psyche. Readers delight in its rollicking anecdotes and unpretentious verve, echoing P.G. Wodehouse's breezy confessions or H.G. Wells' reflective memoirs. Its cultural zest captures Edwardian journalism's bravado and the rise of mass-market fiction, intriguing biography buffs. Collectors revere its rarity in Wallace's canon, while readers revel in the piquant revelations and buoyant prose, deeming it an effervescent essential for admirers of literary lives and swashbuckling self-portraits.