The Golden Guides, originally Golden Nature Guides, were a series of 160-page, pocket-sized books created by Western Publishing and published under their "Golden Press" line (primarily a children's book imprint) from 1949. Edited by Herbert S. Zim and Vera Webster, the books were written by experts in their field and illustrated in a simple straightforward style.
 Early Golden Guides, published from 1949 to 1955. | |
| Edited by | Herbert Zim, Vera Webster |
|---|---|
| Original title | Golden Nature Guides |
| Illustrator | James Gordon Irving |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Western Publishing Golden Press St. Martin's Press (2001–present) |
| Published | 1949–2002 |
| Media type | Pocket book |
| No. of books | 84 |
| Followed by | Golden Field Guide |
| Website | Official website |
Intended for primary and secondary school level readers, the first books were field guides illustrated by James Gordon Irving, with such titles as Birds (1949), Insects (1951), and Mammals (1955). The series later expanded beyond identification guides to cover a wider range of subjects, such as Geology (1972), Scuba Diving (1968), and Indian Arts (1970).
In 1966, Zim launched a related series, the Golden Field Guides, aimed at high school or college-age readers.
An updated series was relaunched in 2001 as "Golden Guides by St. Martin's Press", illustrated largely with photographs but retaining some of the original 1950s illustrations.[1]
List of Golden Guides
edit| Title | Author(s) | Date Published |
|---|---|---|
| Acadia National Park | Grant Sharpe | 1968 |
| American Antique Glass | Elizabeth Oliver | 1977 |
| Antiques | Ann Cole | 1967 |
| Architecture | Charles Rambert | 1969 |
| Bats Of The World | Gary Graham | 1994 |
| Bicycling | George Fichter & Keith Kingbay | 1972 |
| Bird Life | Stephen Kress | 1991 |
| Birds | Herbert Zim & Ira Gabrielson | 1949 |
| Birds Of Europe | Bertel Bruun | 1967 |
| Botany | Taylor Alexander, R. Will Burnett, Zim | 1970 |
| Butterflies And Moths | Robert Mitchell & Herbert Zim | 1962 |
| Cacti | Frank Venning | 1974 |
| Camping | Robert Smallman | 1965 |
| Casino Games | Bill Friedman | 1973 |
| Cats | George Fichter | 1973 |
| Dinosaurs | Eugene Gaffney | 1990 |
| Ecology | Taylor Alexander & George Fichter | 1973 |
| Endangered Animals | George Fichter | 1995 |
| Everglades National Park | Herbert Zim | 1960 |
| Evolution | Frank T. Rhodes | 1974 |
| Exotic Plants | Julia Morton | 1971 |
| Exploring Space | Mark Chartrand | 1991 |
| Families Of Birds | Oliver Austin | 1971 |
| Fishes | Herbert Zim & Hurst Shoemaker | 1955 |
| Fishing | George Fichter & Phil Francis | 1965 |
| Flowers | Herbert Zim & Alexander Martin | 1950 |
| Flying | Barry Schiff | 1971 |
| Fossils | Frank Rhodes, H. Zim & Paul Shaffer | 1962 |
| Gamebirds | Alexander Sprunt & Herbert Zim | 1961 |
| Geology | Frank Rhodes | 1972 |
| Guns | Larry Koller | 1961 |
| Hallucinogenic Plants | Richard Schultes | 1976 |
| Heart | Sarah Riedman | 1974 |
| Herbs And Spices | Julia Morton | 1976 |
| Horses | Moira Duggan | 1972 |
| Indian Arts | Andrew Whiteford | 1970 |
| Insect Pests | George Fichter | 1966 |
| Insects | Herbert Zim & Clarence Cottam | 1951 |
| Israel and The Holy Land | Rinna Samuel | 1967 |
| Italy | Paul Friedlander & Joseph Brooks | 1955 |
| Kites | Wyatt Brummit | 1971 |
| Landforms | George Adams & Jerome Wyckoff | 1971 |
| Light And Color | Clarence Rainwater | 1971 |
| Mammals | Herbert Zim & Donald Hoffmeister | 1955 |
| Mexico | Herbert Zim | 1969 |
| Modern Painting | Michel Hoog | 1970 |
| Non-Flowering Plants | Floyd Shuttleworth & Herbert Zim | 1967 |
| Oceanography | Gilbert Voss | 1972 |
| Orchids | Shuttleworth, Zim & Gordon Dillon | 1970 |
| Pacific Northwest | Herbert Zim & Natt Dodge | 1959 |
| Painting - From Its Origins | Genevieve Monnier | 1969 |
| Painting, Gasser's Guide to | Henry Gasser | 1964 |
| Photography | Herbert Zim & R. Will Burnett | 1956 |
| Planets | Mark Chartrand | 1990 |
| Pond Life | George Reid | 1967 |
| Power Boats | Bill Wallace | 1961 |
| Reptiles and Amphibians | Herbert Zim & Hobart Smith | 1953 |
| Rocks And Minerals | Herbert Zim & Paul Shaffer | 1957 |
| Rocky Mountains | Herbert Zim | 1964 |
| Sailing | Bill Wallace | 1960 |
| Scuba Diving | Wheeler North | 1968 |
| Sculpture, An Introduction To | Guillaume Janneau & Simone Hoog | 1970 |
| Seashells Of The World | R. Tucker Abbott | 1962 |
| Seashores | Herbert Zim & Lester Ingle | 1955 |
| Ski | Bill Wallace & Bob Beattie | 1966 |
| Sky Observer's Guide | R. Newton, M. Mayall & Jerome Wyckoff | 1965 |
| Snakes | Sarah Whittley | 2002 |
| Southeast, The American | Herbert Zim | 1960 |
| Southwest, The American | Natt Dodge & Herbert Zim | 1959 |
| Spiders & Their Kin | Herbert Levi & Lorna Levi | 1968 |
| Sports Cars | Mortarini, Leopold & Waterfall | 1968 |
| Stars | Herbert Zim & Robert Baker | 1951 |
| Trees | Herbert Zim & A. Martin | 1952 |
| Tropical Fish | Bruce Halstead & Bonnie Landa | 1975 |
| Venomous Animals | Edmund Brodie, Jr. | 1989 |
| Washington D.C. | Robert Smallman | 1964 |
| Weather | Paul Lehr, R. Will Burnett & Herbert Zim | 1957 |
| Weeds | Alexander Martin | 1972 |
| Whales And Other Marine Mammals | George Fichter | 1990 |
| Wines | Henri Fluchère | 1973 |
| Yosemite | Douglass Hubbard | 1970 |
| Zoo Animals | Donald Hoffmeister | 1967 |
| Zoology | Will Burnett, Herbert Zim, & Harvey Fisher | 1958 |
References
edit- ^ Fandrich, Leslie (Fall 2012). "The Golden Nature of James Gordon Irving". Uppercase (15): 46–50.
External links
edit- Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press - Current list of Golden Guides
- List of the original Golden Guide titles with links to cover images