Brassey's is variously the name of a publisher, an imprint, or a published series of volumes, all mostly associated with military topics, that was in existence in one form or another from 1886 to around 2005.
Brassey's in Britain[edit]
The heritage of the series name dates to the Brassey's Naval Annual,[1] begun by Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey, the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, in 1886.[2] This large volume became a British tradition in military studies circles and reliably appeared each year.[3] Companies House shows an entity Brassey's Publishers Ltd as existing since 1920.[4] But the actual printing of the Naval Annual was typically done by William Clowes Ltd.[5]
By the late 1970s, Brassey's Publishers Ltd was more often credited as a publisher itself.[6] A 1979 announcement in the bids and deals section of The Guardian labelled Brassey's as "said to be the oldest established name in defence publishing".[7]
In 1980, Brassey's Publishers was acquired by British media mogul Robert Maxwell.[3][7] The acquisition was announced in December 1979.[7] Subsequently named Brassey's Defence Publishers Ltd,[1] it was a subsidiary of Maxwell's Pergamon Press.[8] Under this name it published military-related volumes during the 1980s, including one called The Military Balance and others produced in conjunction with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.[3] It also put out books with related themes, such as Garrison (1987), a socio-historical look at ten British military towns.[2]
By the 1990s, the firm was known as Brassey's Ltd.[9] It continued to publish military-related titles, such as The Lifeblood of War: Logistics in Armed Conflict (1991).[10]
In 1998, Brassey's Ltd was acquired by Batsford Communications PLC. [11] But in 1999 Batsford went into receivership,[12] with pieces being acquired that year by the Chrysalis Group.[13]
Thus by 2000, Brassey's was an imprint of the Chrysalis Books,[14] In the early 2000s, Brassey's was stated as being a division of the Chrysalis Books Group.[15] A sister imprint was Conway Maritime Press.[15]
In 2005, all Chrysalis imprints, including Brassey's, were sold to a new firm composed of the imprints' managers, that firm being named Anova Books Company.[16]
After that, the Brassey's name seems to have faded away as an imprint or a name published under.
Brassey's in United States[edit]
In 1983, Brassey's, Inc. was founded as the United States subsidiary of Brassey's.[17][18] While still mostly known for titles on military history, over time Brassey's, Inc. began publishing works on several other topics including American history and sports history.[19]
The year 1999 saw Brassey's, Inc. being acquired by Books International, a Virginia-based warehouse and distribution company.[19] At this point, the US-based Brassey's became independent of the UK-based Brassey's.[17][9]
Then in 2004, Brassey's, Inc. was renamed Potomac Books; the newly named imprint further expanded its catalog to include world and national affairs, presidential history, diplomats and diplomacy, and biography and memoir.[18]
Similarly to the UK branch, after this point the Brassey's name seems to have become unused.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Grove, Eric (1986). "Brassey's Annual 1886–1986". Defense Analysis. 2 (3): 257–260. doi:10.1080/07430178608405260.
- ^ a b Signy, Larry (27 February 1987). "Book Firm Scores Its Century". Aldershot News. p. 2 (Weekend) – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Lycett, Andrew (11 July 1990). "Publishers in retreat?". The Times. London. p. 16 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Rexam WCP Limited: Company number 00171055". Companies House. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ See for example "Allies' Naval Strength". Newcastle Journal and North Mail. 8 July 1942. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ See for example Stanhope, Henry (16 November 1978). "Army to rely on civil transport in wartime". The Times. London. p. 7 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ a b c "Bids & Deals: Pergamon". The Guardian. London, Manchester. 8 December 1979. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pagano, Margareta (5 December 1985). "Maxwell seen as 'Green Knight'". The Guardian. London, Manchester. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Clifford, Helen (26 March 2013). "Potomac Books acquired by University of Nebraska Press". The London Book Fair. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018.
- ^ Ramsey, Russell W. (1992). "Another Look at Logistics". Marine Corps Gazette. 76 (4): 106. ProQuest 206365222 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Batsford Looks for Greater U.S. Role". Publishers Weekly. 19 October 1998. p. 14. ProQuest 197032187 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Leapman, Michael (30 July 1999). "B T Batsford in Receivership". The Times. London. ProQuest 318146346 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Speelman, Jon (27 September 1999). "Chess [Foreign Edition]". The Independent. London. ProQuest 312928577 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "[Appointments:] Media: Designers". Evening Standard. London. 24 May 2000. p. 62 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Appointments: Creative, Media & Sales: Book Designer". The Guardian. London, Manchester. 2 December 2002. p. 21 (MediaGuardian) – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Chrysalis sells book arm". Irish Examiner. 7 November 2005.
- ^ a b "People News: Dymott moves to Brassey's US". The Bookseller. 27 June 2003. p. 16 – via Gale General OneFile.
- ^ a b "University Press acquires Potomac Books". Lincoln Journal Star. 26 March 2013. p. A4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Brassey's Inc. Acquired". Publishers Weekly. 4 October 1999.