Reader's Digest Condensed Books
The Reader's Digest Condensed Books were a series of hardcover anthology collections, published by the American general interest monthly family magazine Reader's Digest and distributed by direct mail. Most volumes contained five (although a considerable minority consisted of three, four, or six) current best-selling novels and nonfiction books which were abridged (or "condensed") specifically for Reader's Digest.
Occasional titles (The Leopard (Summer 1960), The Days Were Too Short (Autumn 1960) or Papillon (Autumn 1970) were selected from outside the English-speaking world and published as abridgments of the translated originals. In a few rare cases, new editions of older works (Up from Slavery, originally published in 1901 (Autumn 1960), A Roving Commission: My Early Life, originally published in 1930 (Autumn 1951) or Goodbye Mr. Chips, originally published in 1934 (Summer 1961) were also among the condensed selections.
For most of their publication schedule, the volumes were issued four times each year, with the rate gradually increasing to a bi-monthly schedule by the early-1990s. The series was produced for 47 years (1950–1997), until being renamed Reader's Digest Select Editions. (Note: UK editions seem to have been somewhat different from USA editions. Pre-1992 Canadian editions also contain different titles).
1950s
1950
|
Volume 1 - Spring
Volume 2 - Summer
|
Volume 3 - Autumn
|
1951
|
Volume 4 - Winter
Volume 5 - Spring
|
Volume 6 - Summer
Volume 7 - Autumn
|
1952
|
Volume 8 - Winter
|
Volume 10 - Summer
|
1953
|
Volume 12 - Winter
|
Volume 14 - Summer
|
1954
|
Volume 16 - Winter
|
Volume 18 - Summer
|
1955
|
Volume 20 - Winter
|
Volume 22 - Summer
|
|
Volume 21 - Spring
|
Volume 23 - Autumn
|
1956
|
Volume 24 - Winter
|
Volume 26 - Summer
|
1957
|
Volume 28 - Winter
|
Volume 30 - Summer
|
1958
|
Volume 32 - Winter
|
Volume 34 - Summer
Volume 35 - Autumn
|
1959
|
Volume 36 - Winter
|
Volume 38 - Summer
Volume 39 - Autumn
|
1960s
1960
|
Volume 40 - Winter
|
Volume 42 - Summer
Volume 43 - Autumn
|
1961
|
Volume 44 - Winter
|
Volume 46 - Summer
|
1962
|
Volume 48 - Winter
|
Volume 50 - Summer
|
1963
|
Volume 52 - Winter
|
Volume 54 - Summer
|
1964
|
Volume 56 - Winter
|
Volume 58 - Summer
|
1965
|
Volume 60 - Winter
|
Volume 62 - Summer
|
1966
|
Volume 64 - Winter
|
Volume 66 - Summer
|
1967
|
Volume 68 - Winter
|
Volume 70 - Summer
|
1968
|
Volume 72 - Winter
|
Volume 74 - Summer
|
1969
|
Volume 76 - Winter
Volume 77 - Spring
|
Volume 78 - Summer
|
1970s
1970
|
Volume 80 - Winter
Volume 81 - Spring
|
Volume 82 - Summer
|
1971
|
Volume 84 - Winter
|
Volume 86 - Summer
|
1972
|
Volume 88 - Winter
|
Volume 90 - Summer
|
1973
|
Volume 92 - #1
Volume 93 - #2
|
Volume 95 - #4
|
1974
|
Volume 97 - #1
|
Volume 100 - #4
Volume 101 - #5
|
1975
|
Volume 102 - #1
Volume 103 - #2
|
Volume 105 - #4
|
1976
|
Volume 107 - #1
Volume 108 - #2
|
Volume 110 - #4
|
1977
|
Volume 112 - #1
|
Volume 115 - #4
Volume 116 - #5
|
1978
|
Volume 117 - #1
|
Volume 120 - #4
|
1979
|
Volume 122 - #1
Volume 123 - #2
|
Volume 125 - #4
|
1980s
1980
|
Volume 127 - #1
Volume 129 – M
|
Volume 130 - #3
|
1981
|
Volume 133 - #1
|
Volume 136 - #3
|
1982
|
Volume 139 - #1
|
Volume 142 - #3
|
1983
|
Volume 145 - #1
|
Volume 148 - #3
|
1984
|
Volume 151 - #1
|
Volume 154 - #3
Volume 156 - #5
|
1985
|
Volume 157 - #1
|
Volume 160 - #3
|
1986
|
Volume 163 - #1
|
Volume 166 - #3
Volume 168 - #5
|
1987
|
Volume 169 - #1
Volume 170 - #2
|
Volume 172 - #3
|
1988
|
Volume 175 - #1
|
Volume 178 - #3
|
1989
|
Volume 181 - #1
Volume 183 - M
|
Volume 184 - #3
|
1990s
1990
|
Volume 187 - #1
|
Volume 190 - #3
|
1991
|
Volume 193 - #1
|
Volume 196 - #4
|
1992
|
Volume 199 - #1
Volume 201 - #3
|
Volume 202 - #4
|
1993
|
Volume 205 - #1
|
Volume 208 - #4
|
1994
|
Volume 211 - #1
|
Volume 214 - #4
|
1995
|
Volume 217 - #1
|
Volume 220 - #4
|
1996
|
Volume 223 - #1
Volume 224 - #2
|
Volume 226 - #4
|
1997
|
Volume 229 - #1
|
Volume 232 - #4
|
Most of the 1997 volumes aforementionned were also published as Reader's Digest Select Editions.
Succeeding volumes were published under the title Reader's Digest Select Editions.



