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).

Volume 1 - Spring

Volume 2 - Summer

Volume 3 - Autumn

Volume 4 - Winter

Volume 5 - Spring

Volume 6 - Summer

Volume 7 - Autumn

Volume 8 - Winter

Volume 9 - Spring

Volume 10 - Summer

Volume 11 - Autumn

Volume 12 - Winter

Spring 1953 Selections

Volume 14 - Summer

Volume 15 - Autumn

Volume 16 - Winter

...
Wikipedia