Library of Entertaining Knowledge

The Library of Entertaining Knowledge was founded by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.^[1] The books appeared from 1829 to 1838, published in London by Charles Knight, and complemented the Society's Library of Useful Knowledge, which had not sold as well as hoped.^[2]^[3] The volumes were priced at 4s. 6d, more expensive than rival non-fiction series.^[4]

Number	Year	Title	Author Comments
1^[5]	1829 (31 March)	The Menageries. Quadrupeds, Described and Drawn From Living Subjects	James Rennie (anonymous)
	1829	A Description and History of Vegetable Substances used in the Arts, and in Domestic Economy: Timber Trees: Fruits	Robert Mudie (anonymous)
	1830	The Pursuit of Knowledge under Difficulties^[6]	George Lillie Craik (anonymous)
	1830	The New Zealanders^[7]	George Lillie Craik (anonymous)
24	1830	Insect Architecture^[8]	James Rennie (anonymous)
	1830	Insect Transformations^[8]	James Rennie (anonymous)
	1831	Paris and Its Historical Scenes (2 Vols.)	George Lillie Craik (anonymous)
	1831	Insect Miscellanies^[8]	James Rennie (anonymous)
	1831	The Architecture of Birds^[9]	James Rennie (anonymous)
35	1831–2	Pompeii (2 vols.)	William Barnard Clarke (anonymous), later expanded^[10]^[11]
	1831–5	Historical Parallels (2 vols.)^[12]	Arthur Thomas Malkin (anonymous)
	1832	Vegetable Substances Used for The Food of Man
12	1832–3	Criminal Trials (2 vols.)^[13]	David Jardine (anonymous)
	1832-6	The British Museum. Egyptian Antiquities (2 vols.)	George Long (anonymous)
18, 19	1833^[14]	The British Museum. Elgin and Phigaleian Marbles (2 vols.)^[15]	Sir Henry Ellis (anonymous)
	1833	Vegetable Substances: Materials of Manufacture
	1833	The Domestic Habits of Birds	James Rennie (anonymous)
	1834	History of British Costume	James Planché (anonymous)
	1834-5	The Hindoos (2 Vols.)^[16]	Revised by Friedrich August Rosen^[17]
	1835	The Faculties of Birds	James Rennie (anonymous)
	1836	The British Museum. The Townley Gallery (2 vols.)^[15]	Sir Henry Ellis (anonymous)
	1836	Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (2 vols.)^[18]	Edward William Lane^[19]
	1836	The Chinese. A General Description of the Empire of China and its Inhabitants (2 vols.)	John Francis Davis
	1836	The Backwoods of Canada: Being Letters from the Wife of an Emigrant Officer	Catharine Parr Traill (anonymous)
	1837	Secret Societies of the Middle Ages	Thomas Keightley; published anonymously and against the author's wishes^[20]
	1838	Distinguished Men of Modern Times (4 Vols.)	Henry Malden (anonymous)

Notes

^ Sylvanus Urban (1866). The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review — Vol. 2. p. 266.
^ Mitchell, Rosemary. "Knight, Charles". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/15716. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
^ Royal A. Gettmann (10 June 2010). A Victorian Publisher: A Study of the Bentley Papers. Cambridge University Press. pp. 13–4. ISBN 978-0-521-15320-1.
^ Aileen Fyfe (28 February 2012). Steam-Powered Knowledge: William Chambers and the Business of Publishing, 1820-1860. University of Chicago Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-226-27651-9.
^ Robert Bent (1839). The London catalogue of books ... containing the books published in London ... since the year MDCCCXIV to MDCCCXXXIX. p. 131.
^ George Lillie Craik (1865). The pursuit of knowledge under difficulties [by G.L. Craik]. Continuation. p. v.
^ George Lillie Craik (1830). The New Zealanders. Charles Knight.
^ ^a ^b ^c Samuel Halkett (1926). Dictionary of Anonymous and Pseudonymous English Literature. Ardent Media. pp. 159–60. GGKEY:XNNP1DZ3NZG.
^ The Westminster Review. Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy. 1831. p. 195.
^ Eric Moormann (10 March 2015). Pompeii's Ashes: The Reception of the Cities Buried by Vesuvius in Literature, Music, and Drama. De Gruyter. p. 57 note 219. ISBN 978-1-61451-873-0.
^ Shelley Hales; Joanna Paul (17 November 2011). Pompeii in the Public Imagination from Its Rediscovery to Today. OUP Oxford. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-19-956936-6.
^ Samuel Halkett (1926). Dictionary of Anonymous and Pseudonymous English Literature. Ardent Media. p. 54. GGKEY:XNNP1DZ3NZG.
^ Lee, Sidney, ed. (1892). "Jardine, David" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 29. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
^ Library of Entertaining Knowledge. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. 1833.
^ ^a ^b s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Ellis, Sir Henry
^ The Library of Entertaining Knowledge. The Hindoos. C. Knight. 1835.
^ Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Rosen, Friedrich August" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 49. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
^ Library of Entertaining Knowledge. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. 1836.
^ Edward W. Lane (1 January 2010). Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. Cosimo, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-61640-504-5.
^ Lee, Sidney, ed. (1892). "Keightley, Thomas (1789-1872)" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 30. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

[1] Sylvanus Urban (1866). The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review — Vol. 2. p. 266.

[2] Mitchell, Rosemary. "Knight, Charles". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/15716. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)

[3] Royal A. Gettmann (10 June 2010). A Victorian Publisher: A Study of the Bentley Papers. Cambridge University Press. pp. 13–4. ISBN 978-0-521-15320-1.

[4] Aileen Fyfe (28 February 2012). Steam-Powered Knowledge: William Chambers and the Business of Publishing, 1820-1860. University of Chicago Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-226-27651-9.

[catalogueBent1839-5] Robert Bent (1839). The London catalogue of books ... containing the books published in London ... since the year MDCCCXIV to MDCCCXXXIX. p. 131.

[6] George Lillie Craik (1865). The pursuit of knowledge under difficulties [by G.L. Craik]. Continuation. p. v.

[7] George Lillie Craik (1830). The New Zealanders. Charles Knight.

[Halkett1926-8] Samuel Halkett (1926). Dictionary of Anonymous and Pseudonymous English Literature. Ardent Media. pp. 159–60. GGKEY:XNNP1DZ3NZG.

[9] The Westminster Review. Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy. 1831. p. 195.

[10] Eric Moormann (10 March 2015). Pompeii's Ashes: The Reception of the Cities Buried by Vesuvius in Literature, Music, and Drama. De Gruyter. p. 57 note 219. ISBN 978-1-61451-873-0.

[11] Shelley Hales; Joanna Paul (17 November 2011). Pompeii in the Public Imagination from Its Rediscovery to Today. OUP Oxford. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-19-956936-6.

[12] Samuel Halkett (1926). Dictionary of Anonymous and Pseudonymous English Literature. Ardent Media. p. 54. GGKEY:XNNP1DZ3NZG.

[13] Lee, Sidney, ed. (1892). "Jardine, David" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 29. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

[Library_of_Entertaining_Knowledge-14] Library of Entertaining Knowledge. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. 1833.

[Ellis-15] s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Ellis, Sir Henry

[16] The Library of Entertaining Knowledge. The Hindoos. C. Knight. 1835.

[17] Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Rosen, Friedrich August" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 49. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

[18] Library of Entertaining Knowledge. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. 1836.

[19] Edward W. Lane (1 January 2010). Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. Cosimo, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-61640-504-5.

[20] Lee, Sidney, ed. (1892). "Keightley, Thomas (1789-1872)" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 30. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

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