This rollicking semi-autobiographical novel weaves a tale of Wodehouse's early days as a writer, romance gone awry, and the colorful characters he encountered.

James Orlebar Cloyster, in order to marry his true love, embarks on a scheme of such clever deception that he very nearly manages to ruin both his romance and his career.

Told from multiple viewpoints—that of James, his fiancée, and friends—Not George Washington lampoons London society, literary pretension, the West End stage, playwrights, playgoers, bohemian life, and the newspapers of the day.