Whitaker's Almanack

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Whitaker's Almanack is a reference book, published annually in the United Kingdom. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office, and since 2003 by A & C Black, part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Contents

1 The Almanack
2 Formats
3 Editors

3.1 Editors since 1868

4 External links

The Almanack

The Almanack consists of a great many lists and tables on a vast range of subjects, such as education, the peerage, government departments, health and social issues and military matters. The backbone of the Almanack is the comprehensive set of astronomical data covering the forthcoming year.

The book is completely revised and updated bi-annually. Whitaker's Almanack is not an encyclopedia but more of a yearbook of contemporary matters and a directory of various establishments in the UK (such as societies and institutions, clubs, sports bodies and universities). It not only covers the United Kingdom in great detail, but also has an extensive section on the countries of the world.

Whitaker's is seen as something of an "establishment" volume; it was prized enough that Winston Churchill took a personal interest in the continued publication of the book after its headquarters were destroyed in The Blitz. However it can be seen in many public places such as libraries and government offices as many people regard the book as a leading source of information and an invaluable tool for research.

Formats

Each year's Almanack is published in two formats - the Standard Edition and a shortened Concise Edition. In previous years, a larger-format of the Standard Edition, bound in leather, was produced for libraries; the standard edition was an immediately recognisable volume with a red cloth spine and green boards, whilst the concise edition was generally a paperback. The Standard Edition was redesigned in 1993 to increase the page size and increase legibility.

Editors

The Almanack's current Editor-in-Chief is Inna Ward, whilst former editor Hilary Marsden retains responsibility for the "Countries of the World" section.

Editors since 1868

Joseph Whitaker 1868-1895
Sir Cuthbert Whitaker 1895-1950
F H C Tatham 1950-1981
Richard Blake 1981-1986
Hilary Marsden 1986-1999
Lauren Simpson 1999-2003
Inna Ward 2004-present

External links

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