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|
Editions from the 1970s
1970 |
Seventeenth Edition |
|
Edition |
17 |
Publication Date |
24th October 1970 |
Cover |
White background |
Price New |
£1.00 |
SBN |
900424 02 8 |
Foreword |
October 1970, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editors and compilers |
Pages |
317 |
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", "Human achievements", "The human world" and
"Sports, games and pastimes") |
Dimensions |
12x8½
inches (305x216 mm) |
Copyright |
Guinness Superlatives Limited |
Publisher |
Guinness Superlatives Limited
2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield,
Middx. |
Printer |
Redwood Press Ltd. of Trowbridge,
Wiltshire, England. |
|
Notes:
-
This is the first of the larger books, with a different cover design each year.
-
Inside front cover is "Progressive Absolute Human Speed Records".
-
Designed by Denis Wrigley, M.S.I.A. with illustrations by Denis and Else
Wrigley.
-
Foreword says, "We have now produced nearly 5,000,000 copies".
-
"The business world" chapter moved after "The mechanical world".
-
"The human world" and "Human achievements" chapters swapped.
-
The acknowledgements section recognises one more member of the production team:
Mrs. Eileen Jackson.
-
Modifications to sixty-five pages in the "stop press" section on pages 308 to
311.
-
Inside back cover is "Progressive Human Altitude Records".
-
We have a copy of this edition with a compliments slip from the Edinburgh
office:
-
We
also have what we believe to be a trial binding for this edition from Sir Joseph
Causton & Sons Limited. The sample we have is exactly the same size as the
published edition, has a plain white cover and 288 blank pages. On the first
page is a label (right), which says,
Guinness Superlatives Ltd.
'Guinness Book of Records'
Sample DUMMY
Reference B.2357
|
1971 |
Eighteenth Edition |
|
Edition |
18 |
Publication Date |
28th October 1971 |
Cover |
Red/Brown background (public bar) |
Price New |
£1.10 |
SBN |
900424 04 4 |
Foreword |
October 1971, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editors and compilers |
Pages |
317 |
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", "Human achievements", "The human world" and
"Sports, games and pastimes") |
Dimensions |
12x8½
inches (305x216 mm) |
Copyright |
Guinness Superlatives Limited |
Publisher |
Guinness Superlatives Limited
2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield,
Middx. |
Printer |
Redwood Press Ltd. of Trowbridge,
Wiltshire, England. |
|
Notes:
-
Inside covers are "The Longest Pedigree Provable in English Law".
-
Layout and illustrations by Denzil Reeves.
-
Foreword says, "We have now produced more than 6,000,000 copies".
-
The acknowledgements section recognises additional members of the production
team: Signa. Wendy Cirillo, Miss Tessa Hegley, Tony Thomas, Esq. and Mrs Winnie
Ulrich.
-
Modifications to one hundred and ten pages in the "stop press" section on pages
304 to 309.
-
Page 17 has a table of "oldest authentic centenarians", which gives John B.
Salling as 113 years and 1 day. However, page 196 has his age as 112 years and
305 days. In a letter from Norris McWhirter, he gave this explanation:
"We received advice that John B. Salling was, in fact, some months older than we
had earlier been informed by the Veterans Administration Bureau in Washington.
The first 32 pages of the book are printed after some of the later sections, and
we amended it in the only place we could during the course of production."
Many years later, both ages were found to be incorrect.
|
1972 |
Nineteenth Edition |
|
Edition |
19 |
Publication Date |
31st October 1972 |
Cover |
Blue background (shopfront) |
Price New |
£1.20 |
SBN |
900424 06 0 |
Foreword |
October 1972, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editors and compilers |
Pages |
317 |
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", "Human achievements", "The human world" and
"Sports, games and pastimes") |
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:
-
Inside front cover is "World Superlatives in the United Kingdom & Ireland".
-
Layout and illustrations by Denzil Reeves.
-
Foreword says, "We have now produced more than 7,000,000 copies".
-
Preface continues the mother-in-law "theme" from earlier editions:
"... we do not opine on ... the most formidable mother-in-law, only the woman
with the greatest girth or the organ (or indeed the mother-in-law) generating
the most decibels."
-
Modifications to ninety-four pages in the "stop press" section on pages 304 to
309.
-
Inside back cover is "Current Olympic Records after the XXth Games in Munich,
1972".
|
1973 |
Twentieth Edition |
|
Edition |
20 |
Publication Date |
31st October 1973 |
Cover |
Purple background (circus) |
Price New |
£1.40 |
ISBN |
0 900424 13 3 |
Foreword |
October 1973, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editors and compilers |
Pages |
349 |
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 |
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:
-
Inside front cover is "Circus Records".
-
Artwork by Denzil Reeves. Layout by Sally Bennett.
-
An 8-page colour picture section inserted between the copyright and contents
pages.
-
"The human world" and "Human achievements" chapters swapped again.
-
Foreword says, "We have now produced more than 12,500,000 copies".
-
Further production team additions to the acknowledgements section: A. T. Albin,
Esq., D. Richard Bowen, Esq., David N. Newlett, Esq. and Mrs. Hilary Leavey.
-
Modifications to seventy-five pages in the "stop press" section on pages 339 to
341.
-
Page 349 has, "Indexing by Gordon Robinson".
-
Inside back cover is "World Superlatives in the United Kingdom & Ireland".
|
1974 |
Twenty-First Edition |
|
Edition |
21 |
Publication Date |
October 1974 |
Cover |
Bright Green background |
Price New |
£1.70 |
ISBN |
0 900424 22 2 |
Foreword |
October 1974, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editors and compilers |
Pages |
349 |
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 |
12x8½
inches (305x216 mm) |
Copyright |
Guinness Superlatives Limited |
Publisher |
Guinness Superlatives Limited
2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield,
Middx. |
Printer |
Redwood Burn Limited Trowbridge &
Esher |
|
Notes:
-
Artwork by JAK. Layout by Sally Bennett. Sports editress Suzi Biggar.
-
"Notes on acceptability of Records" added on Page 5.
-
Foreword says, "We have now produced more than 20,000,000 copies".
-
Modifications to fifty-three pages in the "stop press" section on pages 339 to
341.
-
Page 349 has, "Indexing by Gordon Robinson".
-
New production team acknowledgements: Miss Susan Beaty, N. Gardner, Esq. and
Peter H. Hathaway, Esq.
-
Inside back cover is "Evolution of Records in the 20th Century".
-
A quiz book, based
on this edition, was published in early 1975.
-
Copies of this edition with green cartoons and header text on the first 32 pages
(rather than the usual red) are known:
We also know of a publisher's proof copy of this edition, which has a plain
white soft cover and, again, has different colour cartoons throughout the
book. The chapter title pages of the standard edition have the following
colours: red, red, green, purple, purple, purple, black, green, green,
black, blue and purple (and the table on the inside back cover is blue). For
the proof copy, the chapter titles are: red, red, green, green, green,
green, black, green, green, black, green and purple (but the final table is
green).
Just how the different colour sequences came to be is unclear. Of course, there
could be further variants as yet undiscovered...
-
We
are very fortunate to have a copy of the Australian edition signed by both
Norris and Ross McWhirter, which was presented to Ron Besdansky to commemorate
his record for travelling through all the railway stations in Sydney, Australia
in 17 hours and 36 minutes.
|
1975 |
Twenty-Second Edition |
|
Edition |
22 |
Publication Date |
31st October 1975 |
Cover |
Silver Grey background |
Price New |
£2.50 |
ISBN |
0 900424 26 5 |
Foreword |
October 1975, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editors and compilers |
Pages |
349 |
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 |
12x8½
inches (304x214 mm) |
Copyright |
Guinness Superlatives Limited |
Publisher |
Guinness Superlatives Limited
2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield,
Middlesex, England. |
Printer |
Redwood Burn Limited Trowbridge &
Esher |
|
Notes:
-
Sports Editor (Suzi Biggar) credited on the title page (page 3).
-
Artwork by Don Roberts. Layout by Flax & Kingsworth and David Roberts.
-
Foreword says, "... in November 1974 with sales of 23,950,000 our title
qualified as the world's all-time best seller among commercially sold books".
-
Modifications to sixty-eight pages in the "stop press" section on pages 339 to
341.
-
New production team acknowledgements: Mrs Susan Gullen, Miss Gillian Iddins, Mrs
Beverley Waites and Peter Whatley, Esq.
-
Page 349 has, "Indexing by Gordon Robinson".
-
Inside back cover is "Citius Altius Fortius Evolution of 80 years of Olympic
Records".
|
1976 |
Twenty-Third Edition |
|
Edition |
23 (1977 Edition) |
Publication Date |
28th October 1976 |
Cover |
Royal Blue background |
Price New |
£2.95 |
ISBN |
0 900424 37 0 |
Foreword |
October 1976, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editor and compiler |
Pages |
350 |
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 |
12x8½
inches (305x212 mm) |
Copyright |
Guinness Superlatives Limited |
Publisher |
Guinness Superlatives Limited
2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield,
Middlesex, England. |
Printer |
Redwood Burn Limited Trowbridge &
Esher |
|
Notes:
-
Cover now shows the edition year.
-
First book after the death of Ross McWhirter. Page 3 has "(Ross McWhirter
1955-1975)".
-
Sports Editor (Stan Greenberg) credited on the title page (page 3).
-
Foreword says, "In this edition we are obliged to include the gratifying entry
that our twin authors qualified as the first in the history of commercial
publishing to see any title achieve sales beyond the 25,000,000 mark. All who
have read the work will share our grief and shock at the brutal murder of Ross
McWhirter on 27 November 1975 and will share with his twin brother and co-author
the loss he and Ross's own family have suffered".
-
Artwork by Don Roberts. Layout by David Roberts (no kin). Diagrams by
Eddie Botchway.
-
Modifications to ninety-one pages in the "stop press" section on pages 338 to
340.
-
The production team acknowledgements for this issue are: G. Howard Garrard Esq.,
D.S.C. (Correspondence Editor); Mrs. Amanda Clark (Editor's Secretary); Miss
Moira Browne (Editor's Assistant); Mrs. Beverley Waites (Sports Editor's
Assistant); Mrs. Mary Crowder and Mrs. Lucie Phillippo. Also to Mrs. Barbara
Anderson, Mrs. Christine Bethlehem, Mrs. Rosemary Bevan, Miss Suzi M. Biggar, D.
Richard Bowen, Esq., Signa. Wendy Cirillo, Mrs. Pamela Croome, Miss Trudy Doyle,
Mlle. Béatrice Frei, Mrs. Susan Gullen, Miss Tessa
Hegley, E. C. Henniker, Esq., David N. Hewlett, Esq., Mrs. Angela Hoaen, David
F. Hoy, Esq., (Managing Director), Mrs. Eileen Jackson, Mrs. Hilary Leavey, Mrs.
Diana Lloyd, Mrs. Jane Mayo, John Morris, Esq., G. M. Nutbrown, Esq., W. E.
Nutbrown, Esq., Mrs. Margaret Orr-Deas, Peter B. Page, Esq., John Rivers, Esq.,
Mrs. Judith Sleath, Mrs. Anne Symonds, Andrew Thomas, Esq. (Associate Editor
1964-68), Mrs. Gillian Turner, Mrs. Winnie Ulrich, Peter Whatley, Esq., Stephen
James Clarke, Esq., (1947-1976) (Management Accountant).
-
Pages 341 and 342 have "Current Olympic Records after the XXIst Games in
Montreal, 1972".
-
Page 350 has, "Indexing by
Gordon Robinson".
-
Inside back cover is "Derivative titles for further reading".
-
We
have a copy of this edition signed by Norris McWhirter and dedicated to Ronald
Proyer for his article in Annabel magazine about Rosemary McWhirter and the
death of her husband.
For this edition, Tom Thumb cigars (John Player Ltd.) ran a competition to win
one of a 1,000 copies of the book. Four special inserts in packs of the cigars
were issued, and competition entrants were required to identify two of the four
world records (and then to provide "an apt an amusing reason for smoking Tom
Thumb cigars").
|
1977 |
Twenty-Fourth Edition |
|
Edition |
24 (1978 Edition) |
Publication Date |
31st October 1977 |
Cover |
Yellow background |
Price New |
£3.50 |
ISBN |
0 900424 80 X |
Foreword |
October 1977, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editor and compiler |
Pages |
350 |
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 (305x216 mm) |
Copyright |
Guinness Superlatives Limited |
Publisher |
Guinness Superlatives Limited
2 Cecil Court, London Road, Enfield,
Middlesex |
Printer |
Redwood Burn Limited Trowbridge &
Esher |
|
Notes:
-
Inside front cover is "Milestones in Absolute Human Altitude & Speed Records".
-
Sports Editor (Stan Greenberg) credited on the title page (page 3).
-
Foreword says, "... global sales of this book ... have surpassed the 30,000,000
mark".
-
Artwork by Don Roberts. Layout by David Roberts (no kin).
-
"Animal and plant kingdoms" chapter renamed "The Living World".
-
Pages 338 and 339 have "Commonwealth Games Records".
-
Modifications to ninety-four pages in the "stop press" section on pages 340 to
342.
-
The production team acknowledgements for this issue are slightly less formal: G.
Howard Garrard D.S.C. (Correspondence Editor); Amanda Clark (Editor's
Secretary); Moira F. Browne (Editor's Assistant); Beverley Waites (Sports
Editor's Assistant); Mary Crowder, Lucie Phillippo, Peter J. Matthews and
Bernadette Bidwell. Also to Barbara Anderson, Anne Belsham, Sally V. Bennett,
Christine Bethlehem, Rosemary Bevan, Suzi M. Ross-Browne, D. Richard Bowen,
Signa. Wendy Cirillo, Pamela Croome, Trudy Doyle, Mlle. Béatrice
Frei, Jacqueline Gould, Susan Gullen, Tessa Hegley, E. C. Henniker, David N.
Hewlett, Angela Hoaen, David F. Hoy, (Managing Director), Paul Hurren, Eileen
Jackson, Hilary Leavey, Diana Lloyd, Jane Mayo, G. M. Nutbrown, W. E. Nutbrown,
Margaret Orr-Deas, Peter B. Page, (1954-57), John Rivers, Judith Sleath, Anne
Symonds, Andrew Thomas, (Associate Editor 1964-68), Gillian Turner, Winnie
Ulrich, Peter Whatley, Stephen James Clarke, (1947-1976) (Management
Accountant).
-
Page 350 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".
-
Inside back cover is "Guinness books for further reading".
|
1978 |
Twenty-Fifth Edition |
|
Edition |
25 (1979 Edition) |
Publication Date |
October 1978 |
Cover |
Green background |
Price New |
£3.95 |
ISBN |
0 900424 90 7 |
Foreword |
October 1978, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editor and compiler |
Pages |
350 |
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:
-
Inside front cover is "How the records have changed over 25 editions".
-
The production team acknowledgements section has a couple of changes: Moira F.
Browne is now Moira F. Stowe and Paul Hurren is removed. There is one addition:
"the late A. Ross McWhirter (Co-editor 1954-1975)".
-
Sports Editor (Stan Greenberg) credited on the title page (page 5).
-
Foreword says, "... global sales of this book ... have surpassed the 35,000,000
mark".
-
Artwork by Don Roberts. Design and Layout by David Roberts
(no kin). Cover Artwork by Robert Heesom.
-
Modifications to eighty-three pages in the "stop press" section on pages 340 to
342.
-
Page 350 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".
-
Inside back cover is "Guinness books for further reading".
|
1979 |
Twenty-Sixth Edition |
|
Edition |
26 (1980 Edition) |
Publication Date |
19th October 1979 |
Cover |
Red background |
Price New |
£4.25 |
ISBN |
0 900424 96 6 |
Foreword |
October 1979, Earl of Iveagh |
Preface |
Editor and compiler |
Pages |
350 |
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 date appears on the spine of the book for the first time.
-
Inside front cover is "Olympic Records prior to the XXII games in Moscow 1980".
-
Page 4 has a list of current and planned Guinness Museums.
-
In the production team, Colin C. Smith replaces G. Howard Garrard D.S.C. as
Correspondence Editor.
-
Sports Editor (Stan Greenberg) credited on the title page (page 5).
-
Foreword says, "... global sales of this book ... have surpassed the 36,000,000
mark".
-
Artwork by Don Roberts. Design and Layout by David Roberts
(no kin).
-
Modifications to ninety-two pages in the "stop press" section on pages 340 to
342.
-
Page 350 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".
-
Inside back cover is "Guinness books for further reading".
-
We have a copy "from the library of C. N. Thomas" which is signed by
Norris McWhirter.
-
Pat Bender has a copy of the Australian Edition with a compliments slip from
Beverley Waites:
|
|