The Blue Book was among the top three American pulp magazines of the early twentieth century, variously referred to as both "King of the Pulps" and, most recently, "The Slick in Pulp Clothing." In its early days, Blue Book also carried a supplement on theatre actors called "Stageland". The magazine was aimed at both male and female readers. It had a lengthy 70-year run under various titles from 1905 to 1975.
Launched as The Monthly Story Magazine, it was published under that title from May 1905 to August 1906 with a change to The Monthly Story Blue Book Magazine for issues from September 1906 to April 1907.
For the next 45 years (May 1907 to January 1952), it was known as The Blue Book Magazine or Blue Book Magazine. In the late 1930s, it was titled Blue Book of Fiction and Adventure. The title was shortened in February 1952 to Bluebook, continuing until May 1956.
With a more exploitative angle, the magazine was revived in October 1960 as Bluebook for Men. The title again became Bluebook for the final run from 1967 to 1975.
In its 1920s heyday, Blue Book was regarded as one of the "Big Four" pulp magazines (the best-selling, highest-paying and most critically acclaimed pulps), along with Adventure, Argosy and Short Stories. The magazine was nicknamed "King of the Pulps" in the 1930s. Pulp historian Ed Hulse has stated that between the 1910s and the 1950s Blue Book "achieved and sustained a level of excellence reached by few other magazines".
Agatha Christie stories published in the Blue Book Magazine[]
- Vol. 37 No. 5, Sep 1923 - The Affair at the Victory Ball
- Vol. 37 No. 6, Oct 1923 - The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan (as "Mrs Opalsen's Pearls")
- Vol. 39 No. 1, Nov 1923 - The King of Clubs
- Vol. 38 No. 2, Dec 1923 - The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim (as "Mr Davenby Disappears – the name of the main character was changed)
- Vol. 38 No. 3, Jan 1924 - The Plymouth Express (as "The Plymouth Express Affair")
- Vol. 38 No. 5, Mar 1924 - The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor (as "The Marsdon Manor Tragedy")
- Vol. 38 No. 6, Apr 1924 - The Million Dollar Bond Robbery (as "The Great Bond Robbery")
- Vol. 39 No. 1, May 1924 - The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
- Vol. 39 No. 2, Jun 1924 - The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge (as "The Hunter's Lodge Case")
- Vol. 39 No. 3, Jul 1924 - The Kidnapped Prime Minister (as "The Kidnapped Premier")
- Vol. 39 No. 4, Aug 1924 - The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb (as "The Egyptian Adventure")
- Vol. 39 No. 5 - Vol. 40 No. 1, Sep - Nov 1924 - The Man in the Brown Suit in 3 parts.
- Vol. 40 No. 2, Dec 1924 - The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman (as "The Italian Nobleman")
- Vol. 40 No. 3, Jan 1925 - The Case of the Missing Will (as "The Missing Will")
- Vol. 40 No. 4, Feb 1925 - The Chocolate Box
- Vol. 40 No. 5, Mar 1925 - The Veiled Lady.
- Vol. 40 No. 6, Apr 1925 - The Lost Mine
- Vol. 41 No. 1, May 1925 - The Market Basing Mystery
- Vol. 41 No. 3, Jul 1925 - The Submarine Plans
- Vol. 41, No. 4, Aug 1925 - The Double Clue
- Vol. 41, No. 5, Sep 1925 - The Adventure of the Clapham Cook (as "The Clapham Cook")
- Vol. 41 No. 6, Oct 1925 - The Cornish Mystery
- Vol. 41 No. 7, Nov 1925 - The Lemesurier Inheritance
- Vol. 44 No. 5, Mar 1927 - The Unexpected Guest
- Volume 44, No. 6, Apr 1927 - The Adventure of the Dartmoor Bungalow (as "The Dartmoor Adventure")
- Volume 45, Number 1, May 1927 - The Lady on the Stairs
- Volume 45, Number 2, Jun 1927 - The Radium Thieves
- Volume 45, Number 3; Jul 1927 - In the House of the Enemy
- Volume 45, Number 4, Aug 1927 - The Yellow Jasmine Mystery
- Volume 45, Number 5, Sep 1927 - The Chess Problem
- Volume 45, Number 6, Oct 1927 - The Baited Trap
- Volume 46, Number 1, Nov 1927 - The Adventure of the Peroxide Blonde (as "The Peroxide Blonde")
- Volume 46, Number 2, Dec 1927 - The Enemy Strikes, a combination of The Terrible Catastrophe and The Dying Chinaman.
- Volume 46, Number 3, Jan 1928 - The Crag in the Dolomites
- Volume 74, Number 2, Dec 1941 - The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman (2nd time)
- Vol. 75, No. 4, Aug 1942 - The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan (as "Mrs Opalsen's Pearls").