Product Description

"Schott's Almanac" redefines the traditional almanac to present a record of the year just past and a guide to the year come. It is designed to be a practical and entertaining annual volume that tells the real stories of the year, from economic meltdown and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto to the England-less Euro 2008 and the Beijing Olympics, and from the American presidential elections and the Hollywood writers' strike to Bond 22, Quantum of Solace and the creation of artificial life. The section headings include: Chronicle; World; Society and Health; Sci, Tech, Net; Celebrity and Media; Music and Cinema; Books and Arts; Travel and Leisure; Money; Parliament and Politics; The Establishment; Sport; and, Ephemerides. In an age when information is plentiful but selection is rare, "Schott's Almanac" offers both the essential facts and the lucid analysis, combining the authority and accuracy of the "Economist" with the wit and vitality of "Have I Got News for You".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21460 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Review
'A social barometer of genuine historical value' Sunday Times 'A record of historic reference, chronicling the past year's important events... punctuated with unpredictably diverting statistics' Guardian 'Schott hits the spot' Evening Standard 'The ultimate book of lists, brilliantly, if eccentrically, presented and edited. Never has trivia been more entertaining' Daily Mirror

Evening Standard
Schott hits the spot

Sunday Times
A social barometer of genuine historical value

Customer Reviews

Informative and entertaining
Ben Schott's trivia collections lend themselves to the format of an annual almanac and the good news is that this tome is up to the same standard as his previous books, with lots of nuggets of information you didn't know you didn't know but which are strangely fascinating.

I love the mix of modern up-to-date information with the Victorian-style presentation and quaint illustrations. There is also a review of major news highlights of the year.

Overall this is an ideal Christmas present, the sort of thing you can dip into again and again. It beats socks anyway.

The Modern Year With an Archiac Twist
For quite some time, I had been an annual buyer of such almanacs such as "The World Almanac", "Harris' Farmer's Almanac", and the "Farmer's Almanac" - Until I came across Schott's Almanac. The book is a wonderful compilation of the year - providing more information than the three aforementioned almanacs together. Separated into 13 sections (Chronicle, The World, Society & Health, Media & Celebrity, Music & Cinema, Books & Arts, Sci, Tech, Net, Travel & Leisure, Money, Parliament & Politics, Establishment & Faith, Sport, Ephemeridies), Scott's Alamanac presents the modern year with an archiac twist. A MUST have.

Ideal stocking filler
Ben Schott's trivia collections lend themselves to the format of an annual almanac and the good news is that this tome is up to the same standard as his previous books, with lots of nuggets of information you didn't know you didn't know but which are strangely fascinating.

I love the mix of modern up-to-date information (such as the meanings of the different colours of wristbands) with the Victorian-style presentation and quaint illustrations (including that of Wayne Rooney). There is also a review of major news highlights of 2005.

Overall this is an ideal Christmas present, the sort of thing you can dip into again and again. It certainly beats socks anyway.