Guinness Record Book Collecting

U.K.

1950s • 1960s

1970s • 1980s

1990s • 2000s

2010s • 2020s

Specials • Private

Related

U.S.A.

Hardback • Paperback

Related

World

Firsts • Specials

French • German

Rest of World

General

Blunders • Games

Collecting • Music

Encyclopaedias

Facts & Feats

Film & TV • Sports

Food & Drink

Miscellanea • Guides

Records • Pick & Mix

History • Language

Toys & Gifts • Others

Catalogues

Odds & Ends

Website Copyright
© book-of-records.info

2007-2021

First Editions from Other Countries

Following the first U.K. edition in 1955 and the first U.S. edition in 1956, "foreign language" editions of the Guinness Book of Records started to appear from 1962/3 onwards. By the time that the 30th U.K. Edition was published in 1983, many other countries had their own versions of the book - we have reproduced the table from that edition below.

At the start of 2008, the Guinness World Records website stated that the book had: "sales of more than 100 million copies in 100 different countries and 24 languages", however that is likely to be the current distribution and not the peak distribution. In this section of the site we'll try and catalogue the first editions for as many countries as we can and provide, where possible, additional information about the publication history for each country.

We don't have complete information for all of the first editions published worldwide, so please help if you can. We will also use this page to catalogue interesting records books from other countries.

Overseas and Foreign Language Editions table from the 1984 U.K. Edition:

Language	Title(1)	Binding	Editions	First
American	Guinness Book of World Records	Casebound	22	1956
American	Guinness Book of World Records	Paperback	22	1963
Chinese		Paperback	1	1981
Czech	Guinnessova Kniha Rekordů	Casebound	1	1975
Danish	Guinness Rekordbog Først og Størst	Casebound	10	1967
Dutch	Guinness Groot Recordboek	Casebound	8	1971
Finnish	Guinness Suuri Ennätys Kirja	Casebound	7	1968
French	Livre Guinness Des Records	Casebound	10	1962
German	Guinness Buch der Rekorde	Casebound	13	1963
Greek		Casebound	2	1980
Hebrew	Guinness Sēfēr Ha'siim	Casebound	5	1977
Icelandic	Heimsmetabók Guinness	Casebound	2	1977
Indian(2)		Paperback	1	1983
Italian	Il Guinness Dei Primati	Casebound	7	1968
Indonesian	Guinness Rekaman Rekor Dunia	Paperback	1	1980
Japanese	Guinness Korega Sekai Ichi	Casebound	9	1967
Norwegian	Guinness Rekordbok Først og Størst	Casebound	9	1967
Portuguese	Guinness O Livro dos Recordes	Casebound	3	1974
Serbo-Croat	Guinnessova Knjiga Rekorda	Casebound	1	1977
Slovenian	Guinnessova Knjiga Rekordov	Casebound	1	1978
Spanish	Guinness Libro de los Records	Casebound	8	1967
Swedish	Guinness Rekordbok Först och Störst	Casebound	13	1968
Turkish	Guinness Rekorlar Kitabına	Paperback	2	1982

⁽¹⁾  Title of the latest edition in 1983.

⁽²⁾  Various languages, the first being Hindi.

A Malay edition was contracted for publication in 1983; U.K. Editions with an Australian supplement had been published annually since 1972, whilst the first Southern African edition was produced in 1968. The first Canadian edition was published in 1976, followed by the first New Zealand edition in 1977.

Other editions first published in the 1980s included Arabic, Thai, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hungarian, and Russian. The first Polish edition was published in 1990, followed by Bulgarian, Romanian, Slovak, Korean (1991) and Macedonian. We also have some other record books from Russia (1991) and the German Democratic Republic (1978, 1989).

The first Central American edition was published by Editorial Voluntad S.A. of Santa Fe de Bogotá, Columbia in 1993. This edition in Spanish (later called the Latin American edition) was targeted at readers in "Argentina, Columbia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estados Unidos, Guatemala, México, Panamá, Puerto Rico and Venezuela". 

In 2015 the first ever edition in Mongolian Cyrillic was published by the Nomiin Khishig Publishing company in Ulaanbaatar.

1963

Austria

Title Rekorde Rekorde Rekorde Publication Date 1963 Cover Turquoise, with "skater" dust-jacket Pages 255 Chapters 13 ("Der Mensch", "Das Tierreich", "Die Natur", "Das Weltall", "Naturwissenschaften", "Die menschliche Gemeinschaft", "Kunst und Kultur", "Die Wirtschaft", "Bauten und Anlagen", "Verkehr und Technik", "Katastrophen und Unfälle", "Menschliche Spitzenleistungen" und "Sport") Illustrations 32 black and white plates Dimensions 9⅝x7 inches (245x178 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Ltd., London Publisher Buchgemeinschaft Donauland, Wien

1967	Spanish
	Title Enciclopedia Guinness De Superlativos Mundiales Publication Date July 1967 Cover White background Associate Editor Andrew Thomas Foreword July 1967, Benjamin Guinness, Viscount Elveden Pages 501 Chapters 12 ("El Cuerpo Humano", "Reinos Animal y Vegetal", "El Mundo de la Naturaleza", "El Universo y el Espacio", "El Mundo Científico", "El Mundo Humano", "Arte y Espectáculos", "El Mundo de los Negocios", "Estructuras Mundiales", "El Mundo "Mecánico", "Proezas Humanas" y "Deportes, Juegos y Pasatiempos") Format Paperback, 178x107 mm Copyright Editors Press Service Inc. and Guinness Superlatives Ltd. Publisher Editors Press Service, Inc., 551 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017
Notes: The first European Spanish edition was published in 1976 and adopted a title similar to today's editions - "El Libro Guinness de los Records".

1967

Denmark

Title Guinness Rekordbog Først og Størst Subtitle Sidst og Mindst Publication Date November 1967 Cover Multicoloured Foreword Viscount Elveden Pages 479 Chapters 13 ("Mennesket", "Dyreriget", "Planteriget", "Naturens Verden", "Universet og Rummet", "Videnskabens Verden", "Menneskets Verden", "Kunst og Underholdning", "Erhvervslivet", "Bygningsværker", "Teknikkens Verden", "Menneskelige Bedrifter" og "Sport og Spil") Dimensions 6⅝x4¾ inches (172x120 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Ltd & Politikens Forlag A/S, København Printer J. Jørgensen & Co., København Notes Further editions were published in 1968, 1970, 1973, 1975 and 1977. The book was published annually from 1980.

1967

Norway

Title Guinness Rekordbok Først og Størst Subtitle Sist og Minst Publication Date Late 1967 / Early 1968 Cover Red/Orange (laminated) Foreword Viscount Elveden Pages 479 Chapters 13 ("Mennesket", "Dyreriket", "Planteriket", "Naturens Verden", "Universet og Verdensrommet", "Videnskapens Verden", "Menneskeheten", "Kunst og Underholdning", "Forretningsverdenen", "Byggverk", "Teknikkens Verden", "Menneskelige Bedrifter og Prestasjoner" og "Sport og Spill") Dimensions 6⅝x4¾ inches (172x121 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Ltd & Politikens Forlag A/S, Københaven Publisher Chr. Schibsteds Forlag, Postboks 415, Oslo 1.

1967

Japan

Title Guinness Korega Sekai Ichi Publication Date 1967 Format Two paperback volumes - each 7⅛x5 inches (181x128mm) - housed in a purple/red slip-case with a blue paper wrap. Copyright 1965 Guinness Superlatives Ltd. Price New 930 Yen Volume 1 Red dust-jacket (below, left) over a cream cover, with a green paper wrap. 287 pages. Price 450 Yen Volume 2 Green dust-jacket (below, right) over a cream cover, with a red paper wrap. 365 pages. Price 480 Yen

1968

Finland

Title Guinnessin Ennätysten Kirja Publication Date 1968 Preface Varakrelvi Elveden Pages 543 Chapters 14 ("Ihminen", "Eläiment", "Kasvit", "Eläintarhat, akvaariotja meriakvaariot", "Luonto", "Maailmankaikkeus ja avaruus", "Tieteen maailma", "Ihmisen maailma", "Taide ja viihde", "Elinkeinoelämä", "Rakennustoiminta", "Tekniikan maailma", "Ihmisen saavutuksia", "Urheilua ja pelit") Dimensions 6¾x5⅛ inches (172x130 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Ltd & Politikens Forlag A/S, Københaven Publisher Otava Helsingissä Notes Our copy has an insert which reads, "Tämä kirja on lähetetty kiitoksena osallistumisestanne Suuren Suomalaisen Kirjakerhon jäsenkilpailuun" (This book has been sent as a thank you for your participation in the Great Finnish Book Club competition)

1968

Sweden

Title Först och Störst Guinness Rekordbok Publication Date 1968 Preface Viscount Elveden Pages 500 Chapters 13 ("Människan", "Djurriket", "Växtriket", "Naturen", "Universum och Rymden", "Forskning och Vetande", "Människans Värld", "Konst och Underhållning", "Näringslivet", "Byggnadsverk", "Teknikens Värld", "Bedrifter och Prestationer" och "Sport och Spel") Dimensions 6⅝x4¾ inches (170x121 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Ltd & Politikens Forlag A/S, Köpenhamn, Danmark Printer Bohusläningens AB, Uddevalla Publisher Bokforlaget Forum AB, Stockholm, Sverige Notes The second edition was published in 1970, with the third edition in 1972. Published annually from 1974.

1968

Italy

Title Il Guinness Dei Primati Publication Date July 1968 Cover Purple Preface Benjamin Guinness, Viscount Elveden Pages 367 Chapters 12 ("Gli Esseri Umani", "I Regni Animale e Vegetale", "Il Nostro Pianeta", "L'universo e lo Spazio", "Il Mondo della Scienza", "Attività Artistiche e Ricreative", "Il Mondo degli Affari", "Le Costruzioni dell'Uomo", "Il Mondo della Meccanica", "Le Istituzioni dell'Uomo", "Le Conquiste dell'Uomo" e "Sport, Giochi e Passatempi") Dimensions 10½x8 inches (267x203 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Limited, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore Publisher Arnoldo Mondadori Editore

1968	Southern African Guinness Book of Records
	Edition 15 Publication Date October 1968 Cover Grey SBN 900424 00 1 Foreword October 1968, Earl of Iveagh Preface Editors and compilers Pages 349 (standard) + 34 (Southern African records) Dimensions Crown Quarto 10x7½ inches (254x191 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Limited Publisher Guinness Superlatives Limited 24, Upper Brook Street, London, W.1 Printer Redwood Press Ltd. of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England.
Notes: The cover is largely the same as the UK 15th Edition, except that the front and back of the dust-jacket say, "with Southern African records compiled by Eric Rosenthal". Our copy has the inscription, "F. A. Droste & Co., Ltd." on the cover and dust-jacket. The Southern African Records section is 34 pages long. All pages are blue tinted paper - the second page has "Late Additions and Amendments" ("Owing to the miscarriage of a set of printer's proofs"), and the following 32 pages contain the Southern African records. The Foreword for the Southern African Records section (September 1968) says, "The Guinness Book of Records welcomes the inclusion of the Southern African section, written by Eric Rosenthal, the well-known encyclopaedist". We have a copy of Eric Rosenthal's own book - "TOTAL's book of Southern African Records" (Hardback, 8x5¼in, 160 pages, ISBN 0-620-01923-9). Ours is a First edition, first impression from 1975, and is signed by the author.

1971	The Netherlands
	Title Guinness Groot Recordboek Publication Date 1971 Cover Red Foreword Earl of Iveagh (in Dutch) and Norris D. McWhirter/Ross McWhirter (in English) Pages 494 (with 28 black and white plates) Chapters 12 ("De Mens", "Het Dieren- en Plantenrijk", "De Natuur", "Heelal en Ruimte", "Wetenschap", "Kunst en Ontspanning", "Bedrijfsleven", "Bouwwerken", "De Wereld van de Machine", "De Wereld van de Mens", "Menselijke Prestaties" en "Sport en Spiel") Dimensions c. 10¾x8½ inches (275x215 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Limited and BORN N.V. Publisher BORN N.V. Uitgeversmaatschappij - Amsterdam-Assen
Notes: The Dutch translation was by "Mr. A. J. A. de Winter". Updates to 9 categories in "Nagekomen" on page 494.

1972	Australia Edition
	Edition 19 Publication Date October 1972 Cover Blue background (shopfront) SBN 900424 12 5 Foreword October 1972, Earl of Iveagh Preface Editors and compilers Pages 317 (standard) + 25 (Australian records) Dimensions 12x8½ inches (305x216 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Limited Publisher Guinness Superlatives Limited 2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield, Middx. Printer Redwood Press Limited Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England.
Notes: The cover is largely the same as the UK 19th Edition, except that the front cover has "Australia Edition" instead of "Superlatives Unlimited". Many copies also had a sticker which says "First Ever Australian Edition". The inside back cover pages of the standard edition ("Current Olympic Records after the XXth Games in Munich, 1972") turn into additional pages (not numbered) after page 317. The Australian Records section begins, "Comprising the records from the six States of the Commonwealth of Australia (New South Wales (with Lord Howe Is.); Victoria; Queensland; South Australia; Western Australia and Tasmania (with Macquarie Is.)) and the two internal Territories Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory and the eight external Territories: Papua New Guinea; Norfolk Is.; Ashmore and Cartier Islands; Australian Antartic Territory; Heard Is. and McDonald Islands; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Christmas Is.; and Coral Sea Islands Territory." The spelling mistake is corrected in later editions. The Foreword for the Australian Records section says, "This is the first edition of the Guinness Book of Records to include a collection of exclusively Australian records. A growing interest and correspondence with Australians concerning superlatives has encouraged us to pioneer this work". The Australian Records section is 25 pages long - the first has a standard white background and the remainder have a pale yellow background.

1974

Brazil

Title Guinness Livro dos Recordes Publication Date 1974 Cover Blue with Orange panel Pages 250 Chapters 10 ("Ser humano", "Reinos animal e vegetal", "Mundo natural", "Universo e espaço", "Mundo da Ciência", "Artes e diversões", "Estruturas mundiais", "Mundo mecânico, político e dos negócios", "Conquistas humanas" and "Esportes e jogos") Dimensions 11x8¼ inches (280x210 mm) Publisher Editora Abril, SP

1975

China / Taiwan

Publication Date 1975 Pages 568 Format Paperback 7⅜x5⅛ inches (188x130 mm) Publisher China Times Culture Publishing Co., Ltd. Notes This is not the official Guinness 1981 edition published by Kite International, but is an earlier Taiwanese edition produced by the China Times Culture Publishing Co., Ltd. in Taipei. It is a translation of the 13th U.S. Bantam Edition, but it is not clear if this publication was approved by Guinness in the U.K.

1975	Czechoslovakia
	Title Guinnessova Kniha Rekordů Publication Date 1975 Cover Multicoloured Publisher Olympia, Prague, Czechoslovakia

1976	Canadian Edition
	Edition 23 (1977 Edition) Publication Date 1976 Cover Royal Blue background ISBN 0 900424 39 7 Foreword October 1976, Earl of Iveagh Preface Editor and compiler Pages 382 Chapters 12 ("The Human Being", "Animal and plant kingdoms", "The Natural world", "The universe and space", "The scientific world", "The arts and entertainments", "The world's structures", "The mechanical world", "The business world", "The human world", "Human achievements" and "Sports, games and pastimes") Dimensions 11⅝x8½ inches (296x212 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Limited Publisher Guinness Superlatives Limited 2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield, Middlesex, England. Printer Richardson, Bond & Wright Ltd., Owen Sound, Ontario.
Notes: The cover is largely the same as the UK 23rd Edition, except that the front cover has "Canadian Edition" instead of "Superlative Recorder", and the camera lens has a maple leaf in place of the world. The book is slightly shorter than the UK edition, and the year banner and cup ribbons on the front cover are modified accordingly. The Canadian Records section is 32 pages long (pages 338 to 369). The Foreword for the Canadian Records section says, "This is a pioneer edition with a section devoted to purely Canadian records. The compilers are conscious that any first offering must inevitably have gaps and they are confident that this collection can be improved with each succeeding edition".

1977

Iceland

Title Heimsmetabókin þín Pages 318 Chapters 12 ("Maðurinn", "Lífheimurinn", "Jörðin", "Heimur og geimur", "Heimur vísindanna", "Listir og dægradvöl", "Mannvirki", "Tækniheimurinn", "Heimur viðskiptanna", "Mannheimur", "Afreksverk manna" og "Íþróttir, leikir og tómstundaiðkanir") Format Hardback c.12x8⅜ inches (305x212 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Ltd. Publisher Bókaútgáfan Örn og Örlygur hf, Reykjavik, Ísland

1977	Hebrew
	Title Guinness Sēfēr Ha'siim Pages 285 Chapters 12 Format Hardback 12x9 inches (305x228 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Ltd.

1977	Serbo-Croat
	Title Guinnessova Knjiga Rekorda Pages 399 Chapters 12 ("Čovjek", "Životinjsko i Biljno Carstvo", "Svijet Oko Nas", "Svemir", "Svijet Nauke", "Umjetnost i Zabava", "Najveće Gradevine", "Svijet Mehanike", "Privreda", "Svijet Ljudi", "Rekordni Ljudski Pothvati" i "Sport") Format Hardback 11⅜x8⅛ inches (289x207 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Ltd. Publisher Prosvetja, Zagreb

1977	New Zealand Edition
	Edition 24 (1978 Edition) Publication Date 1977 Cover Yellow background ISBN 0 900424 84 2 Foreword October 1977, Earl of Iveagh Preface Editor and compiler Pages 382 Chapters 12 ("The Human Being", "The Living World", "The Natural world", "The universe and space", "The scientific world", "The arts and entertainments", "The world's structures", "The mechanical world", "The business world", "The human world", "Human achievements" and "Sports, games and pastimes") Dimensions 12x8½ inches (305x212 mm) Copyright Guinness Superlatives Limited Publisher Guinness Superlatives Limited 2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield, Middlesex Printer Redwood Burn Limited Trowbridge & Esher
Notes: The cover is largely the same as the UK 24th Edition, except that the front cover has "with New Zealand supplement" in a panel at the bottom. The New Zealand Records section is 32 pages long (pages 338 to 369). The Foreword for the New Zealand Records section says, "This is the first edition of the Guinness Book of Records to include a special section of exclusively New Zealand records ... This pioneer collection of New Zealand superlatives is one which we shall strive to improve and expand with succeeding annual editions".

1978	Slovenian
	Title Guinnessova Knjiga Rekordov Publication Date 1978 Pages 316

1980	Indonesian
	Title Guinness Rekaman Rekor Dunia Publication Date 1980 Pages 1060 Format Paperback 18x11 cm Publisher Gramedia Jakarta, PT

1987	German Democratic Republic (DDR)
	Title Rekorde, Einmaligkeiten, Kuriositäten in der DDR Compiler Wolfgang Richter Date October 1987 Cover Orange Pages 80 Format Paperback, 200x141 mm Publisher Verlag Neues Deutschland
Notes: We also have a copy of the 2nd Edition (pictured right): paperback (200x138mm), 160 pages, published in April 1989. These are not related to the Guinness editions, but are very interesting alternative publications. In the 1st edition, records are organised alphabetically; in the 2nd, they are grouped into 32 categories.

1989	Russia
	Title Книгу рекордов Гиннесса 1988 Publication Date late 1989 ISBN 5-268-00873-0 Pages 350 Chapters 12 ("Человека", "Живой мир", "Мир природы", "Вселенная и космос" "Мир науки", "Искусство и развлечения", "Мир строительных соорyжений", "Мир механики","Деловой мир", "Достижения Человека","Мир Человека", "Спорт, игры и  состязнаия") Format Hardback 11⅛x8½ inches (282x216 mm) Publisher Москва: Советская Россия (Moscow: Soviet Russia)
Notes: This is a Russian translation of the 34th U.K. Edition from 1988 by С. С. Федотова (S. S. Fedotova).

1990	Taiwan
	Pages 1126 Format Hardback 8½x6¼ inches (215x160 mm) Publisher Chuan Yuan Publishing Co. Notes It is not clear whether this is an official Guinness edition, or if it is indeed the first Taiwanese edition. There are only a few black and white photographs in the book, with just eight pages in colour.

1990	Poland
	Title Księga Recordów Guinness'a Publication Date 1990 ISBN 83-85147-00-4 Editor Marek Klat Pages 295 Chapters 11 ("Człowiek", "Świat Organizmów Żywych", "Świat i Przestrzeń", "Nauka i Technika", "Budynki i Budowle", "Transport", "Świat Interesów", "Sztuka i Rozrywka", "Ludzkie Osiągnięcia", "Świat Ludzi" i "Sport i Rekreacja") Format Hardback c. 12x9 inches (303x224 mm) Copyright Guinness Publishing Ltd. 1989 Publisher Reprom, Gdansk.
Notes: The foreword by Donald McFarlan starts: "Drodzy Czytelnicy. Publikacja ta jest pierwszą polską edycją Księga Recordów Guinnessa" ("Dear Readers. This publication is the first Polish edition of Guinness Book of Records"). The cover is the same as the standard UK edition, except for an additional panel on the front cover, which says, "EDYCJA W JĘZYKU POLSKIM" ("Polish Language Edition"). The usual ISBN panel on the rear cover is replaced by the publisher's name (Reprom).

1991	Russia
	Title диво-90 Publication Date 1991 Cover White background Pages 207 Chapters 19 Dimensions 10⅝x8 inches (270x203 mm) Copyright A/O «диво» Москва, 1991
Notes: This is not a Guinness edition, but it is certainly a Russian record book!

1993

Central America

Title Libro de los Records Guinness 1994 Publication Date 2nd September 1993 ISBN 978-958-02-0813-6 Editor César Camilo Ramírez Pages 320 Chapters 11 ("El Universo y la Tierra", "El Mundo Viviente", "El Ser Humano", "Ciencia y Technologiá", "Edificios y Estructuras", "Medios de Transporte", "El Mundo de los Negocios", "Arte y Entretenimiento", "Mundo Político y Social", "Proezas Humanas" y "Desportes y Jeugos") Format Hardback c. 12x8¾ inches (303x223 mm) Copyright Guinness Publishing Ltd. and Editorial Voluntad S.A. 1993 Publisher Editorial Voluntad S.A., Santa Fe de Bogotá, Columbia

2015	Mongolia
	Title Гиннесийн дэлхийн амжилтууд Publication Date 2015 ISBN 978-99962-92-79-8 Pages 253 Chapters 11 Format Hardback c. 12x9 inches (303x228 mm) Copyright Guinness World Records Limited Publisher Nomiin Khishig Publishing, Prime Minister Amar Street-2, 8th khoroo Sukhbaatar destrict, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.