The Wisden Collector's Guide is the definitive companion to the most famous sports book in the world. Beautifully laid out, this informative volume is a pleasure to handle and study.

Affording a fascinating glimpse of the cricketing, publishing and historical landscapes of the last 147 years, this is an accessible and outstanding volume for cricketing fans generally and a must-have item for Wisden collectors. The rich text is both authoritative and affectionate.

It begins with an overview of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, introducing the original Wisden and describing the history of the publication. The next section contains highlights from each of the 147 editions, including bibliographic information, excerpts from the best articles, cricketers of the year, vital statistics of each edition, interesting obituaries, and noteworthy events and matches.

There is also an additional information of interest to collectors and historical context in the form of news 'headlines' from each year. The World at Large 2010 covers the important events - Earthquake in Haiti kills about 230,000 people, Prince William and Kate Middleton announce their engagement, General election: a hung parliament results in a Conservative/Liberal coalition, the first in British government since World War II and Spains wins the World Cup.

It concludes with a section dedicated to the serious collector.

In Authors' Note, Jonathan Rice and Andrew Renshaw say: "No sport has as vast a literature as cricket, and the centrepiece of any collector's cricket library is Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. From the very beginning, Wisden gained for itself a reputation for fine writing, impartiality and accuracy that enabled it to see off its early rivals and establish itself as the one true authority on cricket all over the world. It is not for nothing that the fat book in the yellow covers is known as "The Cricketers' Bible", a nickname that dates back the best part of a century. After only seven editions, in 1870, Wisden listed the special features that could be found in the earlier numbers, an indication that the Almanack was already highly collectable.

This guide has been produced to help cricket fans build their own collection of Wisdens, not only by giving details of every Wisden so far published, but also by giving tips on how to find, buy, restore and protect Wisdens, so that they build into a collection that will not only be read and re-read, but will also be likely to appreciate in value rather more quickly than most other investments. This is not an index to Wisden, not a price guide, but it is a dip into the treasures that Wisden contains, to whet the appetite for all those who have not yet completed their collection, and to refresh the palate of those fortunate enough to possess a set, but who may not yet have found the time to read all their volumes."

The Wisden Collector's Guide also covers the eight editions of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack Australia published between 1998 and 2005 by Hardie Grant Books with the copyright of John Wisden & Co. Ltd.

John Wisden published his first Almanack in 1864, a slender volume of 116 pages priced at one shilling. Today, it is acknowledged throughout the world as cricket's bible and is probably the most famous annual sporting publication of all time.

All in all, a most stimulating book, which no lover of the game should be without. An indispensable companion at the game.