1. Inside front cover is "Accidents & Disasters Death Tolls".

2. Jerry Dain and Allan Hicks added to the production team credits.

3. Sports Editor (Stan Greenberg) credited on the title page (page 5).

4. Foreword says, "... global sales of this book ... have surpassed the 40 000 000 mark".

5. Artwork by Don Roberts. Design and Layout by David Roberts (no kin).

6. Contents page now has consistent initial capital letters for chapter headings.

7. Page 338 has a list of Olympic records.

8. Modifications to ninety-nine pages in the "stop press" section on pages 339 to 341.

9. Page 349 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

10. Inside back cover is "Guinness Books for Further Reading" and "The Growing World of Guinness Books".

1. The Rolling Stones concert ticket on the front was a personal addition!

2. Inside front cover is "Progression of Records in the 20th Century".

3. Linda Hull replaces Amanda Clark as Editor's Secretary; Maureen Anderson added to the production team credits.

4. Assistant Editor (Moira F. Stowe) and Sports Editor (Stan Greenberg) credited on the title page (page 5).

5. Foreword says, "... global sales of this book ... have surpassed the 42 000 000 mark".

6. Design and Layout by David Roberts. Artwork by Don Roberts (no kin).

7. "The Human World" and "Human Achievements" chapters swapped again.

8. Modifications to one hundred and seventeen pages in the "stop press" section on pages 340 to 342.

9. Page 350 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

10. Inside back cover is "Guinness Books for further reading".

1. Inside front cover is "World Superlatives in the United Kingdom and Ireland".

2. Stan Greenberg (Sports Editor 1976-82) and Elaine Adams are acknowledged.

3. Assistant General Editor (Moira F. Stowe), Sports Editor (Peter J. Matthews), Assistant Sports Editor (Beverley Waites) and Correspondence Editor (Colin Smith) credited on the title page (page 5).

4. Foreword says, "... global sales of this book ... have surpassed the 45 000 000 mark".

5. Art Editor David Roberts. Artwork by Don Roberts (no kin), Eddie Botchway, Pat Gibbon, Matthew Hillier and Tony Maynard.

6. Modifications to one hundred and eighteen pages in the "stop press" section on pages 340 to 342.

7. Page 350 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

8. Inside back cover is "Guinness Books".

1. Inside front cover is "Olympic Venues 1896-1988".

2. Jacqueline Packenham and Jacqueline Walton added to the production team acknowledgements.

3. Title page has "(with the late A. Ross McWhirter from 1955 to 1975)".

4. Assistant General Editor (Moira F. Stowe), Sports Editor (Peter J. Matthews), Assistant Sports Editor (Beverley Waites) and Correspondence Editor (Colin Smith) credited on the title page (page 5).

5. Foreword says, "... global sales of this book ... are nearing the 50 000 000 mark".

6. Art Editor David Roberts. Artwork by Don Roberts (no kin), Eddie Botchway, Paul Doherty, Spiral Creative Associates, Pat Gibbon, Matthew Hillier and Pam Stephens.

7. Modifications to one hundred and fifteen pages in the "stop press" section on pages 339 to 341.

8. Page 349 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

9. Inside back page is an advertisement for the new Guinness World of Records in The Trocadero, Piccadilly Circus. There is a token that can be clipped from the book.

10. Inside back cover is "The End".

Thanks to Liz for this copy of the 30th Edition that was signed by Norris McWhirter. The book was presented to Liz for looking after him during a book signing for the winners of a competition organised by her advertising agency.

Liz remembers: "At the time, I was working at a big advertising agency in Paddington, London (Dorland Advertising), and the competition was in connection with one of our client's advertising campaigns. It was my job to arrange for the books to be signed and to take care of Norris McWhirter during his visit to the ad agency. I spent a couple of hours sitting with him, opening the books at the appropriate page for him to sign, and although there was only a small stack of books to get through, I remember it taking a long time because we kept chatting and getting side-tracked by our conversation. I clearly remember my boss coming in to see why it was taking so long!"

1. This edition was slightly different in size to previous editions.

2. Inside front cover is "Records of the World".

3. Title page has "(with the late A. Ross McWhirter from 1955 to 1975)".

4. Assistant General Editor (Moira F. Stowe), Art Editor (David Roberts), Correspondence Editor (Colin Smith), Sports Editor (Peter J. Matthews) and Assistant Sports Editor (Julian Farino) credited on the title page (page 1).

5. This edition has a special foreword, "The Story Behind the Guinness Book".

6. Foreword says, "By 1984 the global sales had risen to 49.4 million".

7. There is no preface; the "Notes on the Acceptability of Records" item (by Norris McWhirter) has been expanded.

8. There is no contents page.

9. Pages 339 and 340 have a summary of the "1984 Olympic Games - Los Angeles".

10. Modifications to eighty pages in the "stop press" section on pages 341 to 344.

11. Page 352 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

12. In the acknowledgements section, Muriel Ling replaces Linda Hull as Editor's Secretary. David Browne, John Catchpole and Ben Matsumoto are noted for the first time.

13. Inside back page is an advertisement for the Guinness World of Records in The Trocadero, Piccadilly Circus.

14. Inside back cover is "And for your specialist subject".

1. The Guinness Superlatives logo on the spine of previous editions replaced by a Guinness logo.

2. Inside front cover is "How the Records Have Changed Over Three Decades".

3. A. Ross McWhirter removed from the title page.

4. Assistant General Editor (Colin Smith), Assistant Sports Editor (Julian Farino) and Art Editor (David Roberts) credited on the title page (page 3).

5. Foreword remains "The Story Behind the Guinness Book".

6. Foreword says, "By 1985 the global sales had risen to more than 51 million".

7. Contents page returns.

8. Pages 6 and 7 advertise "The Guinness Record Breakers Club". A tear-off application form to join was inserted between pages 32 and 33 in most - though not all - copies.

9. Page 309 has a list of endurance marathons.

10. Modifications to one hundred and eight pages in the "stop press" section on pages 310 to 312.

11. Page 320 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

12. The acknowledgements section is much shorter in this edition: "Editorial Staff Colin C. Smith; David L. Roberts; Julian Farino; Alex E. Reid; Tessa Pocock; Muriel Ling. Bernadette Bidwell, Ann Collins, Barbara Edwards, Sheila Goldsmith, Moira F. Stowe. Also to D. Richard Bowen, Roger Bowes (Chairman), David Browne, John Catchpole, Amanda Clark, Mlle Béatrice Frei, David F. Hoy (Managing Director), Ben Matsomoto, Michael Stephenson (Publishing Director).

13. Inside back cover is "Norris McWhirter and Arthur Guinness ... look what you started!"

14. Back cover says, "Almost 3,500 of the 15,000 records are updated in each new edition".

15. "De Luxe" editions of this book were published by Guinness Superlatives and "Book Club Associates".

16. We have a copy signed by Norris McWhirter to Henry Button (reviewer and contributor to the book over many years):

1. First book after Norris McWhirter's retirement. The foreword says, "On 31 March 1986, having edited the book for 32 years, Norris McWhirter handed over the editorship to Alan Russell".

2. Title page credits the Editor (Alan Russell) and Editorial Advisor (Norris D. McWhirter).

3. Foreword says, "By 1986 global sales had risen to more than 53 million".

4. "The Editor Writes" on page 3.

5. Page 4 has the "1986 Hall of Fame" - Joseph Kittinger, Paul McCartney, Billie-Jean King, Vesna Vulovic, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Bt. and Vernon Craig.

6. Pages 307 and 308 have a list of endurance marathons. Page 308 has a section for the Commonwealth Games.

7. Modifications to one hundred and nine pages in the "stop press" section on pages 309 to 310.

8. Page 320 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

9. Inside back cover has an advertisement for the Guinness World of Records in The Trocadero, Piccadilly Circus and "And if you want to read more".

10. Back cover says, "The Guinness Book of Records has monitored and recorded over 117,000 record changes since it first appeared in 1955".

1. A dozen special copies were produced to record the Pool Endurance Marathon world record.

2. The Guinness logo on the spine of previous editions replaced by a medal logo.

3. Title page credits the Editors (Alan Russell 1986-7 and Norris D. McWhirter 1955-85).

4. Foreword says, "By 1987 global sales had risen to more than 57 million".

5. "A Note from the Editorial Office" on page 3.

6. Page 4 has the "1987 Hall of Fame" - Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir Donald Bradman, Katharine Hepburn, Valentina Tereshkova, Sergey Bubka and Charles Upham.

7. Pages 307 and 308 have a list of endurance marathons.

8. Modifications to one hundred and six pages in the "stop press" section on pages 309 to 310.

9. Page 320 has, "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

10. Inside back cover has "Facts Figures Feats" advert for the Guinness World of Records Exhibition.

11. Back cover says, "Since the first edition of the Guinness Book of Records in 1955 over 135,000 new records have been created".

12. We have a copy signed by Norris McWhirter which was presented to the owner of a bookshop in Nelson, Lancashire as a consolation price in the Guinness Book of Records Window Display competition. An accompanying letter dated 29th January, 1988 from Guinness Books' marketing service manager, Amanda Broughton (but signed by Jacqueline Walton), says that "the 1988 book incidentally is now sold out".

13. We also have a copy of this edition which was given to Jean Leggett during the launch party at the Savoy Hotel in London on 10th October 1987. We also have a list of the 170 guests at the party. Jean Leggett's copy has been signed by nineteen of the guests (including Thora Hird and Sooty!).

1. Inside front cover is the "1988 Hall of Fame" - Steve Davis, Bob Geldof, Dr Robert Jarvick, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, Edwin Moses and Marilyn vos Savant. Steve Davis's award was sold at auction in March 2023 (right).

2. Title page credits the Editor (Donald McFarlan) and Editorial Advisor (Norris D. McWhirter).

3. Foreword says, "In October 1988 the global sales surpassed 60 million".

4. Pages 309 and 310 have a list of endurance marathons.

5. Modifications to seventy pages in the "stop press" section.

6. "Indexing by Anna Pavord".

7. Inside back cover has "Experience the world's greatest exhibition" advert for the Guinness World of Records Exhibition, plus adverts for Genius the Game and other Guinness books.

8. Back cover says, "Since the first edition in 1955 The Guinness Book of Records has become a household name and — dare we say it — a national institution".

9. We have a letter from Norris McWhirter, which accompanied a preview copy of this edition:

1. Inside front cover is the "1989 Hall of Fame" - Richard Noble, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Norris McWhirter, Eleanor Adams, Per Lindstrand and Ian Botham.

2. Title page credits the Editor (Donald McFarlan) and Editorial Advisor (Norris D. McWhirter).

3. The Acknowledgements section credits an "Information Systems Manager" for the first time.

4. Foreword still says, "In October 1988 the global sales surpassed 60 million".

5. Various chapters are merged (or renamed) in this edition, reducing the count to 11 for the first time.

6. Pages 308 and 309 feature the Commonwealth Games

7. Page 310 has a list of endurance marathons.

8. Modifications to seventy-seven pages in the "stop press" section.

9. The stop press section also has an advert for the first ever "Guinness Disc of Records".

10. No mention of Anna Pavord.

11. Inside back cover has an advert for the Guinness World of Records Exhibition, and an advert for other Guinness books.

12. A "Limp Edition" paperback version of this was also published.