Pears Cyclopaedia

"Pears Cyclopaedia" is a one volume encyclopaedia published in the United Kingdom. Since 1953 it has been published annually, with the 116th edition due to appear in October 2007. The 58th edition, published in the autumn of 1948, stated that 'This book is published annually', however the 61st edition was not published until 1953, the 60th being published in 1950. Prior to the 58th edition it was published 'as demand required', which meant that in some years three editions would be published and at other times more than a year would pass between editions.

Pears Soap launched "Pears Shilling Cyclopaedia" in December 1897. The most recent edition (2007-2008) is the 116th edition.

Each edition features an atlas, a gazetteer, a list of prominent people (past and present), a miniature encyclopaedia of general information, and a chronological list of events. In addition, each edition features a collection of around a dozen or more other sections about specialist subjects such as cookery, classical mythology, gardening, etc. The selection of these is rotated from year to year.

External links

* [http://books.littleoak.com.au/pears/ The Pears Cyclopaedia Collector's Gallery]
* [http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780140515572,00.html Pears Cyclopaedia 2006-2007 at Penguin Books]