Books about magazines

This pages lists books about magazines for anyone interested in Magazine research. The resources organised in sections:

Books

  • Abrahamson, David and Prior-Miller, MR
    The Routledge Handbook of Magazine Research: The Future of the Magazine Form , Routledge, 2015
    Routledge has been a prime mover in developing the field of magazine scholarship, as this book demonstrates. It sets out the field of magazine research and suggests avenues of investigation. Each of 33 chapters surveys the past 20 years of scholarship in its subject area, identifying research themes, theoretical developments and interpretive breakthroughs
    book about magazines
  • Breward, C and Wilcox, C (eds)
    The Ambassador Magazine: Promoting Post-War British Textiles and Fashion
    , V&A Publishing, 2015.
    The Ambassador has been described as 'probably the most daring and enterprising trade magazine ever conceived'. With the motto 'Export or Die!', the magazine was renowned for its innovative design and adventurous editorial approach in promoting British manufacturing in the post-war period
    book about magazines
  • Caldwell, C and Zappaterra, Y
    Editorial Design: Digital and Print

    Laurence King, 2014 (2nd edition)
    Practical work covering current and emerging digital formats, branding, how to create layouts, handling copy and images, design, and production skills and trends. With advice and opinions from contemporary designers
    book about magazines
  • The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain: The 20th Century and Beyond
    Cambridge University Press, 2019
    This, the 7th volume in a series that goes back to the very founding of the concept of the book, is the first volume with a specific chapter on magazines, by Magforum founder Tony Quinn

  • Conboy, M and Steel, J
    The Routledge Companion to British Media History
    , Routledge, 2014
    With 50 chapters by international scholars, the book is divided into parts covering first of all media history debates, and media and society, before exploring approaches to 'historicising media futures' for: newspapers, magazines, radio, film, television and digital media
    book about magazines
  • Crowley, D,
    Magazine Covers

    Mitchell Beazley, 2003
    Chapters cover genres such as fashion, culture and photojournalism, featuring 20th-century UK and US magazines, such as Picture Post, The New Yorker, Nova and The Face.
  • Dancyger, I
    A World of Women: An illustrated history of women's magazines 1700-1970

    Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1978
    Dancyger was a freelance journalist for magazines such as Woman and Woman's Own. She paints a picture of 'widening, exciting and challenging women's magazine content' in a detailed work, complete with profiles of 15 women writers and editors
  • Alexis Easley, Andrew King, John Morton
    Researching the Nineteenth-Century Periodical Press: Case Studies
    , Routledge, 232 pages, £115
  • Foges, C (ed)
    Magazine Design (Pro-graphics)
    Pro Graphics, 1999
    Based on interviews with David Hillman, Simon Esterson, Fenrando Gutierrez, Mark Porter, Stephen Gan, Vince Frost and Roger Black, the book explores how designers use elements such as navigational devices, photography, illustration and typography to make a magazine understandable and attractive
    book about magazines
  • Chris Harte
    The Captain Magazine: A History, Index and Bibliograph. Sports History Publishing (2021)
    Everything you ever wanted to know about this famous boys' monthly, which lasted 25 years from 1899. Complete with hundreds of images in its 394 pages
  • Holmes, Tim
    Mapping the Magazine (Journalism Studies)
    Routledge, 2009
    Collection of original, scholarly, detailed and wide-ranging examinations of the magazine form. Drawing on a variety of theoretical approaches and a wealth of titles from around the world, the contributions explore the significance of the magazine to journalism and culture.
    book about magazines
  • James, Wendy
    A Life in Magazines
    Editors Ink, 2021
    Highly-readable memoir of a journalist's career in magazines, starting at IPC when she arrived in Britain from Australia in 1966. Wendy James covers women's weeklies such as Women's Own, and part works, with details of working practices and the people and companies who made up the industry.
  • Andrew King, Alexis Easley, John Morton
    Routledge Handbook to Nineteenth-Century British Periodicals and Newspapers, Routledge, 2016
  • Jeremy Leslie
    MagCulture: New Magazine Design
    Laurence King, 2003
    Jeremy Leslie runs the Magculture consultancy and blog. His books and blog are essential reading for anyone interested in magazine design, particularly for independent magazines. He is a former group creative director at customer magazine publisher John Brown Citrus. He won Designer of the Year in Business & Professional Magazines in the 2004 PPA awards and Designer of the Year in the 2005 APA awards for M-Real.
    book about magazines
  • Jeremy Leslie
    The Modern Magazine: Visual Journalism in the Digital Age
    Laurence King, 2013
    Jeremy Leslie runs the Magculture consultancy and blog. His books and blog are essential reading for anyone interested in magazine design, particularly for independent magazines. He is a former group creative director at customer magazine publisher John Brown Citrus. He won Designer of the Year in Business & Professional Magazines in the 2004 PPA awards and Designer of the Year in the 2005 APA awards for M-Real.
  • Jenny McKay
    The Magazines Handbook: Third Edition (Media Practice)

    Routledge, 2000
    Comprehensive introduction to the magazine industry, covering its development and the roles and skills needed by journalists on magazines, from commissioning to writing to subbing and legal issues
    book about magazines
  • McLean, Ruari
    Magazine Design

    OUP, 1969
    The first book on magazine design, by one of Britain's leading typographers (Penguin books, The Eagle, New Scientist, Motif)
    book about magazines
  • William Owen
    Magazine Design

    Brown, 1991
    In three parts, Owen gives a historical perspective, with much of the focus on the US, contemporary editorial design and 'new magazine design' as DTP was becoming the prime production method for magazines.
    book about magazines
  • Mike Perry
    Over & Over: A catalogue of hand-drawn patterns
    Princeton Architectural Press, 2008
    This book is difficult to put down. Perry has scoured the world to track down the work of 50-odd illustrators whose minutely-detailed, wallpaperish graphics have adorned the likes of Dazed & Confused and the New York Times Magazine. I – and several other people – have spent hours poring over my copy. No-one with an interest in the visual will be disappointed
  • Anthony Quinn
    A History of British Magazine Design
    V&A Publishing, 2016. ISBN: 978-1851777860
    This book has been a labour of love for me – and seven years in the making. It covers the period from 1842 – the year Punch and Illustrated London News appeared – to the present day. British Magazine Design is highly illustrated with 400 photographs of magazine covers and pages. Even if I say so myself, it is beautifully produced. Some pages can be seen in the V&A shop listing


  • Frances Quinn
    Law for Journalists
    Longman 2007
    Lots of examples of legal issues that arise in reporting – on magazines, newspapers and online – make this an accessible book. Also sections on testing your knowledge with each chapter
    book about magazines
  • Steve Taylor & Neville Brody
    100 Years of Magazine Covers
    Black Dog Publishing, 2006
    Highly illustrated book divided into themed chapters, on fashion and women's magazines, photo-journalism, music magazines and underground publications. Individual covers are discussed as well as the importance of titles and publishing houses.
    book about magazines
  • Thatcher, M, and Quinn, A
    Kitchener Wants You: The Man, the Poster and the Legacy
    Uniform, 2016
    Kitchener Wants You traces the way Alfred Leete's 1914 cover for London Opinion was adopted as the famous WWI recruiting poster and went on the become a global icon repeated every day all over the world. Illustrated with dozens of magazine covers and pages
    book about magazines
  • John Wharton
    Managing Magazine Publishing
    Blueprint, 1992
    Out of print but very good on the publishing side. More trade-based than consumer magazines

Resources

Book publishers

  • Routledge has become the leading publisher for academic works on journalism and media studies
  • Laurence King design and typography

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