Whitaker's Almanack

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Front cover of the 2006 Almanack, the 138th edition, published by A & C Black.
Front cover of the 2006 Almanack, the 138th edition, published by A & C Black.

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

[edit] The Almanack

The Almanack consists of articles, lists and tables on a wide range of subjects including education, the peerage, government departments, health and social issues, and the environment.

The largest section is the countries directory, which includes recent history, politics, economic information and culture overviews. Each edition also features a selection of critical essays focusing on events of the previous year. Extensive astronomical data covering the forthcoming year is published at the rear of the book.

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 clubs, public bodies and universities).

Whitaker's 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[1]; a copy is also sealed in Cleopatra's Needle on the north bank of the River Thames.[1]

[edit] 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. Both editions were redesigned in 1993 and 2004 to increase the page size and improve legibility.

[edit] Editors

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

[edit] 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 1999-2004
  • Inna Ward 2004-present

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Whitaker's Almanack website, accessed 28 September 2006

[edit] External links