List of Collins GEM books
Collins GEM is a collection of miniature books by HarperCollins. The original Collins firm published its first dictionary in 1824, and its first series of Collins Illustrated Dictionaries in 1840, including the Sixpenny Pocket Pronouncing Dictionary, which sold approximately 1 million copies. With the invention of steam presses in the 1860s, Collins became able to publish books and dictionaries in all sizes.[1]
The precursor of the Gem format (four inches high and two-and-a-half wide) was the Collins Gem Diary, which became popular in the 1880s.[2] The first Collins Gem English Dictionary was published in the late 1890s.[3] Shortly afterwards came the Collins Gem Pocket Pronouncing Dictionary of 1902.[4] These were followed by foreign language editions, travel and reference guides.
Titles issued during the 1960s and 1970s (ranging beyond the staple language dictionaries) included the Dictionary of the Bible (1964), Decimal Gem Reckoner (1966), Dictionary of Biography (1971), and Gazetteer of the World (1973). Others covered quotations, first names, synonyms and antonyms, spelling and word division, and crossword puzzles. Collins also issued a related series of "Nutshell Books" during the 1960s in a larger format, a response to the successful Teach Yourself series by rival publishers Hodder & Stoughton.
In the 1980s Collins Gem guides were updated and expanded with extensive colour illustrations. There was a further modernisation and re-design in the Spring of 2004, including a new cover design, new internal layouts and a size increase to 4.6 high by 3.2 inches wide.[5] It is still an active imprint.
This is a list of what is in the current Gem collection. Any of the books on the list that have the author being "Collins GEM", "Harper Collins (UK)", "Collins UK" or "HarperCollins Publishers" means that no specific information is given as to who the author is.
Guidebooks[]
- 10-minute Watercolours by Hazel Soan
- 100 Ways to Boost Your Energy by
- 100 Ways to Boost Your Immune System by
- 48-hour Detox by Gill Paul
- 15-minute Yoga by Chrissie Gallagher-Mundy
- 5-minute Back Relief by the Royal College of General Practitioners
- 5-minute Memory Workout by Sean Callery
- 5-minute NLP Carolyn Boyes
- 5-minute Stress-busting by Vicky Hales-Dutton
- Ancient Egypt by David Pickering
- Ancient Greece by David Pickering
- Ancient Rome by David Pickering
- Antique Marks by Collins Gem
- Architectural Plants by Christine Shaw
- Architecture by Timothy Brittain-Catlin
- Birds by Jim Flegg
- Body Language by MR David Lambert and Diagram Group
- Book of Facts by Collins GEM
- Butterflies by Michael Chinery
- Calorie Counter by Collins UK
- Carb Counter by Harper Collins (UK)
- Card Tricks by HarperCollins Publishers
- Children's Party Games by Collins GEM
- Chinese Astrology by Bernard Lodge
- Cholesterol Counter by Kate Santon
- Classic Albums by Robert Dimery[6]
- Cocktails by Collins GEM
- Codes and Ciphers by Collins UK
- Collecting China
- Collins Gem Ready Reference by Collins GEM
- Diet and Exercise by Mary Clark
- Digital Video by Colin Barrett
- Dinosaurs by Douglas Palmer
- Disaster Survival by Collins UK
- Dogs by HarperCollins Publishers
- Dog Training by Gwen Bailey
- First Aid by R M Youngson
- Fish by Michael Prichard
- Flags by Edwin Moore and David Ross
- Flowering Shrubs by Keith D. Rushforth
- Food for Free by Richard Mabey
- Fossils by Douglas Palmer
- Garden Birds by Stephen Moss
- Garden Flowers by Collins GEM
- Garden Ponds by Collins GEM
- Garden Wildlife by Michael Chinery
- Gemstones by Cally Oldershaw
- GI by Collins UK
- GL by Collins UK
- Golf Tips by Heather Thomas and Rolando Ugolini
- Herbs and Spices by Nicola Woods
- Insects by Michael Chinery
- Kings and Queens by Neil Grant
- Knots by Trevor Bounford
- Mushrooms by Patrick Harding
- Origami by Trevor Bounford
- Palm Reading by Bridget Giles and
- Party Games by The Diagram Group
- Psychic Powers by Carolyn Boyes
- Pilates by Yvonne Worth
- Pirates by David Pickering
- Predicting by The Diagram Group
- Quotations by Harper Collins Publishing
- Reflexology by Nicola Hall
- Royal Britain by Collins GEMs
- SAS Self Defence by Barry Davies
- SAS Survival Guide by John 'Lofty' Wiseman
- Scottish Birds by Valerie Thom
- Scrabble
- Seashore by Ken Preston-Mafham
- Sharks by Leonard Compagno
- Sketching by Jackie Simmonds
- Snakes by Christopher Mattison
- Spiders by Paul Hillyard
- Stars by Ian Ridpath
- Tarot by Rowena Stuart
- Trees by Alastair H. Fitter
- Understanding Dreams by HarperCollins Publishers
- Universe by Pam Spence
- Watercolour Tips by
- Weather by Storm Dunlop
- Weddings by Collins and Collins Publishers
- What Diet? by Mary Clark
- Where on Earth? by Collins GEM
- Whisky by Carol P. Shaw
- Wild Animals by John A. Burton
- Wild Flowers by Martin Walters
- Wine by Julie Arkell
- World Atlas by Collins GEM
- Yoga by Patricia A Ralston and Caroline Smart
- Zodiac Types by Harper Collins (UK)
- Zoo Animals by Collins GEM
Dictionaries[]
- Arabic
- Bangla (Bengali)
- Canadian English
- Español-Chino
- French
- French verb tables
- German
- Greek (Modern)
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Irish
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Latin
- Malay
- Malayalam
- Mandarin Chinese
- Marathi
- Oriya
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Scots
- Spanish
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Thai
- Turkish
- Vietnamese
- Welsh
See also[]
- Harper Collins
- John Wiseman
References[]
- ^ History of Collins' dictionary publishing, at Collinsdictionary.com
- ^ The Bookseller, 1889, p 911
- ^ Black & White, Vol 13, 1897, p 594
- ^ Harper Collins timeline
- ^ Collins Gem Watercolour Tips by Ian King (2004)
- ^ "Classic Albums (Collins GEM): Dimery – Amazon.com." Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
External links[]
- Lists of British books
- HarperCollins books