Pen and Sword Books
Pen and Sword Books is a British publisher which specializes in printing and distributing books on military history, militaria and other niche subjects. It is part of the Barnsley Chronicle newspaper group.
 | |
| Parent company | Barnsley Chronicle |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Leo Cooper |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters location | Barnsley, South Yorkshire |
| Distribution | self-distributed (UK) Casemate Publishers (US)[1] Peribo (Australia)[2] |
| Publication types | Books, magazines |
| Nonfiction topics | Military history, naval and maritime history, aviation, local history, family history, collectables and antiques, nostalgia and true crime |
| Imprints | Air World, Frontline Books, Green Bean Books, Seaforth Publishing, White Owl |
| Official website | www |
History
The first books produced by the company were in response to public demand, following a series of articles first published weekly in the Barnsley Chronicle. Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks told the story of crash sites in the Dark Peak National Park and a further weekly feature on the history of two Kitchener battalions, known as the Barnsley Pals, aroused a public interest. Over the years these books have been reprinted a number of times.
Following on from the success of the Dark Peak and Barnsley Pals books, a number of local history paperbacks were produced along with a series of battlefield guide books. Battleground Europe proved successful and as more titles were produced the company made the decision to launch a book publishing arm of the group.
When the Leo Cooper imprint became available the Barnsley Chronicle bought it; and the Pen and Sword publishing house was established in 1990.[3] Leo Cooper (25 March 1934 – 29 November 2013), the husband of novelist Jilly Cooper, had established a reputation for publishing military history titles. Leo Cooper later retired.[3]
Pen and Sword also covers naval and maritime history, aviation, local history, family history, collectables and antiques, nostalgia and true crime.
Select series
- Aviation Heritage Trail—stories, history and events behind famous aviation operations
- Battlegrounds—Over 100 illustrated battleground guide books from periods including 1066, Wars of the Roses, the English Civil War, Napoleonic, Zulu War, The Boer War, World War I to World War II
- Holt's Guidebooks—Overview general information books with maps, memorials, battleground descriptions and tourist-focused summaries covering varied campaigns from World War I and World War II
- Pals—narratives documenting the lives of friends, comrades and pals who joined together in the same Battalions to serve King and Country during the Great War
- Classics—books covering military operations and stories from many different periods throughout history
- Warships of the Royal Navy—stories behind famous Royal Navy ships from the Napoleonic Wars to contemporary military conflicts
- Images of War—photographs from wartime archives with detailed captions and references
- Shot in the Tower: The Story of the Spies Executed in the Tower of London During the First World War [4]
References
- "Pen and Sword | Casemate Publishers". Retrieved 2017-11-10.
- "Prelude Books". Retrieved 2018-02-12.
- Obituary: Leo Cooper, telegraph.co.uk, 2 December 2013.
- "Shot in the Tower: The Story of the Spies Executed in the Tower of London During the First World War: Amazon.co.uk: Leonard Sellers: Books". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-03-08.