THE FOLIO SOCIETY

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

This vast treasury of wit and wisdom spans the centuries, with over 20,000 quotations from over 3,500 authors. This 7th edition contains almost 1,000 new quotations from more than 500 luminaries including J. K. Rowling, Humphrey Lyttleton and Barack Obama: ‘The arc of history is long but it bends towards justice’. With an additional ribbon-marker for the index, enhanced source notes and author descriptions, this is both an invaluable reference work and a browser’s paradise.

New 7th edition 1,184 pages. Size: 9½" x 7".

Chambers Dictionary of World History

From the Norman Conquest to the Normandy Campaign, this dictionary marks the milestones of over 1,000 years of world history.

This latest edition contains comprehensive and detailed coverage of such events as the Wars of the Roses and the Hundred Flowers Campaign; the Prague Spring and the Winter War; Waterloo and Watergate; the Black Hundreds and the Red Brigades. The roll–call of historical figures is no less impressive, from Kalashnikov to Kaunda, Nasser to Nimitz, Saladin to Sitting Bull, Cortés to Clinton.

10" x 6½", 960 pages.

Chambers Biographical Dictionary

Chambers has been recognised as the most comprehensive and authoritative single-volume biographical dictionary available since it was first published in 1897. This new edition has been extensively revised and updated with 600 new entries for 2007, which include Halle Berry, Matt Groening, Simon Wiesenthal and Prince William.

The dictionary contains over 18,000 biographies – more than any other reference work of its type and covers all areas of human achievement ranging across the arts, science, technology, sport, politics, philosophy and business. Each concise and authoritative entry is fully cross-referenced and contains suggestions for further reading. Alongside these are 300 detailed panels on particularly important or influential people ranging from Albert Einstein and the Brontë sisters to Nelson Mandela and The Beatles.

1728 pages. 9¾" x 6¼".

The Oxford Companion to English Literature

Now under the joint editorship of Dinah Birch and Margaret Drabble, with over 150 contributors including Penelope Fitzgerald, Salman Rushdie and John Sutherland, The Oxford Companion to English Literature remains the most authoritative, informative and accessible literary guide. Thousands of enlightening and entertaining entries cover all aspects of literature written in English, including writers, critics, characters and prizes, spanning a millennium from Beowulf to the Booker Prize. This 7th edition has been thoroughly revised and updated with over 1,000 new entries, with profiles of new writers like David Mitchell and Arundhati Roy, increased coverage of American works and in-depth features on popular genres such as children’s literature, crime fiction and travel literature.

7th Edition 1,216 pages. Size: 10" x 7½".

Penguin Encyclopedia

Now in its third edition, the Penguin Encyclopedia is the definitive one-volume reference guide to the world today. It contains over 28,000 entries on the facts, events, issues, people, beliefs and achievements that make up the sum of human knowledge and experience, written in a clear, direct style that illuminates even the most intricate concept. The technology used to produce the encyclopedia has enabled the editor to update articles just a few weeks before publication, making this the most relevant reference book of its kind. Hans Blix, Ozzy Osbourne, David Blaine, Jonny Wilkinson, Howard Dean, the Iraq War and SARS are just some of the people and subjects to be covered in this edition.

Edited by David Crystal, 1,500 Pages, 10" x 7".