St Marys Books

There are five different types of Wisden. John Wisden's first almanack had paper wrappers. The first cloth hardback to go on sale was in 1896, and since then the books have been published in both formats every year. In 1938, the paper wrappers of the soft back were replaced by linen covers, which have proved to be much more durable. The hardback appeared in a yellow dust jacket for the first time in 1965. The third type of Wisden is the rebound copy. Most of these began life as paper covers and were rebound due to the spine flaking or because the covers became worn. As original hardbacks become scarcer, there has been a trend of binding Wisdens in authentic brown cloth with the same gold lettering. The surest way to spot the difference between a skilful rebind and the real thing is to check the endpapers; those on the original are yellow in colour and covered with adverts. The fourth type of Wisden is the reprint. In 1991 the publishers issued the first fifteen Almanacks (1864 - 1878) in a set of facsimiles. The fifth type is the limited leather bound edition, which has been published since 1994.

Some Frequently Asked Wisden Questions:
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An Introduction to Wisdens?

What are Wisdens?

Who Was John Wisden?

How Have Wisdens Changed Over the Years?

Ten Interesting Facts for the Dedicated Wisden Collector!