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The Reprint Society, trading asWorld Books, was abook club in the United Kingdom founded byAlan Bott in 1939 who also started theBook Society, theAvalon Press andPan Books. The club dominated themiddle brow sector of the book club business in the U.K. until it was sold in 1966.
The initial editorial board included:[1]
The first six books offered were:[1]
Possibly the first advert for the club, inThe Times, offeredSeven Pillars of Wisdom in two volumes for three shillings and six pence (3/6) per volume, bound inbuckram and with a gilt stamped leather title label on the spine. Supplies were described as limited by war-time conditions.[1] A cheaper, cloth-bound, version was available at only 2/6s.
The heyday of the club was probably in the 1950s when membership had grown to 200,000 from an initial 2,000 and reducing costs enabled the reintroduction of the signature buckram bindings for which the club was known. The club boasted in its advertising that it was the largest in the British Commonwealth.[2]
In 1966, firm was acquired byW.H. Smith andDoubleday and renamedBook Club Associates which traded using a number of different club names.[3]The Reprint Society was described at the time by its Managing Director, Tony Barrett, as being a company serving the "broad brow" reader rather than the "high brow" reached byThe Readers Union or themiddle orlower brow reached by other clubs.[4]