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Ward Lock Wonder Books 1
Ward Lock Wonder Books 2
Witton Bus Fleetbooks
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World of Transport Books

World of Transport BooksWorld of Transport BooksWorld of Transport Books
World of Transport Books
About This Website
Facebook Group
Adlard Coles Recognition
Air Britain Monographs
Airlines & Airliners
Colours of Buses & Trams
History of The Ship
Hugh Longworth Railways
Ian Allan
John Stroud Aviation
JP Airline Fleets
Leslie Ashwell Wood
Odhams 1942-1950
Platform 5 Railway Books
Ward Lock Wonder Books 1
Ward Lock Wonder Books 2
Witton Bus Fleetbooks
Transport Bookshop
More
  • World of Transport Books
  • About This Website
  • Facebook Group
  • Adlard Coles Recognition
  • Air Britain Monographs
  • Airlines & Airliners
  • Colours of Buses & Trams
  • History of The Ship
  • Hugh Longworth Railways
  • Ian Allan
  • John Stroud Aviation
  • JP Airline Fleets
  • Leslie Ashwell Wood
  • Odhams 1942-1950
  • Platform 5 Railway Books
  • Ward Lock Wonder Books 1
  • Ward Lock Wonder Books 2
  • Witton Bus Fleetbooks
  • Transport Bookshop
  • World of Transport Books
  • About This Website
  • Facebook Group
  • Adlard Coles Recognition
  • Air Britain Monographs
  • Airlines & Airliners
  • Colours of Buses & Trams
  • History of The Ship
  • Hugh Longworth Railways
  • Ian Allan
  • John Stroud Aviation
  • JP Airline Fleets
  • Leslie Ashwell Wood
  • Odhams 1942-1950
  • Platform 5 Railway Books
  • Ward Lock Wonder Books 1
  • Ward Lock Wonder Books 2
  • Witton Bus Fleetbooks
  • Transport Bookshop

The Ward Lock Wonder Book Series

The Ward Lock Wonder Books

The Wonder Books were a series of books published by Ward Lock & Co. aimed at older children and were issued on a regular basis between 1905 and 1981.


While covering all manner of subjects likely to be of interest to young people of the era, they included a large transport component made up of Railways, Aircraft, Ships, Motors, the Army and Navy as well as industrial themes such as 'Engineering Wonders,' Science, Machinery and Inventions.


The First series comprised thirty two titles and ran from 1905 until around 1959 although there were some later reprints stretching into the 1960s. Apart from the 'Wonder Book Annuals' (a few of which have been proven to have included DJs), this series all included Dust Jackets with the exception of the Deluxe Ornate editions.


The Second series 'The New Wonder Books' comprised seven titles and these were published between  1960 and 1967 but again a couple of reprints took these into the early Seventies. These were also issued with Dust Jackets matching the hardback covers.


The final wonderbook series consisting of eight Portrait Laminated Pictorial Hardbacks was aimed at slightly younger children and was published in 1980 and 1981. By this time jackets had fallen from favour.


This series of books gives the reader a fascinating insight into the fashions and ethics of the United Kingdom and it's Empire (later the Commonwealth) during the first half of the twentieth century and many titles cover what older children did in their spare time before mass social media took hold.


I highly recommend this series to collecters although finding examples with well preserved Dust Jackets can be challenging!


Please scroll down for the collection of front cover (front board) images.


Not every edition ever published is included here but to the extent of my research to date, I believe every picture cover variation is shown.


Wonder Book Numbers 19 to 31 and information on the un-numbered volumes and the later series can be found in the 'Ward Lock Wonder Books 2' section.

The Wonder Book Annuals

The Wonder Book A Picture Annual First Edition 1905 Cover Design  A

    1. The Wonder Book of Animals

    The Wonder Book of Animals Seventeenth Edition published 1941

      2. The Wonder Book of Railways

      The Wonder Book of Railways First Edition  (Deluxe version) published 1911

        3. The Wonder Book of Ships

        The Wonder Book of Ships First Edition published 1914

          4. The Wonder Book of Soldiers / The Army

          The Wonder Book of Soldiers Third Edition Deluxe version published 1915

            5. The Wonder Book of Empire

            The Wonder Book of Empire First Edition published 1916

              6. The Wonder Book of Children

              The Wonder Book of Children and the people they live with Fourth Edition published 1923


                7. The Wonder Book of the Navy

                The Wonder Book of the Navy First Edition published 1917

                  8. The Wonder Book of Aircraft

                  The Wonder Book of Aircraft First Edition published 1919

                    9. The Wonder Book of Why and What?

                    The Wonder Book of Why & What? Tenth Edition published 1938

                      10. The Wonder Book of Wonders

                      The Wonder Book of Wonders Second Edition published 1925


                        11. The Wonder Book of Nature

                        The Wonder Book of Nature First Edition published 1924

                          12. The Wonder Book of the Wild

                          The Wonder Book of the Wild Fourth Edition published 1934

                          13. The Wonder Book of Then & Now

                          The Wonder Book of Then & Now First Edition published 1927


                          14. The Wonder Book of Motors

                          The Wonder Book or Motors Second Edition published 1930

                            15. The Wonder Book of Engineering Wonders

                            The Wonder Book of Engineering Wonders Second Edition Revised published 1930

                              16. The Wonder Book of Pets

                              The Wonder Book of Pets First Edition  - Cover Version One published 1929

                                17. The Wonder Book of Inventions

                                The Wonder Book of Inventions First Edition published 1931

                                  18. The Wonder Book of Science

                                  The Wonder Book of Science First Edition published 1931

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