Hundreds of Books by Penguin
A Collection of Penguin Books 
  We have searched libraries across the world to create one of the most comprehensive lists of Penguin publications. We hope that this will be helpful to you. |
In 1935, there was a shortage of affordable good quality books.
Allen Lane, was so appalled by the selection on offer, that he decided that good quality contemporary fiction should be made available at an attractive price and sold not just in traditional bookshops, but also in railway stations, tobacconists and chain stores.
He also wanted a 'dignified but flippant' symbol for his new business. His secretary suggested a Penguin and another employee was sent to London Zoo to make some sketches. Seventy years later Penguin is still one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
The first Penguin paperbacks appeared in the summer of 1935 and included works by Ernest Hemingway, André Maurois and Agatha Christie. They were colour coded (orange for fiction, blue for biography, green for crime) and cost just sixpence, the same price as a packet of cigarettes. The way the public thought about books changed forever - the paperback revolution had begun.
To celebrate its 70th birthday in 2005, Penguin is publishing 70 Pocket Penguins by authors ranging from Homer and Anton Chekhov to F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jamie Oliver. At just £1.50 each they follow Allen Lane's ethos of making great writing affordable and available to everybody - now you can own a piece of the Penguin story.