Reader's Digest Condensed Books


Reader's Digest Condensed Books was 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 current best-selling novels and nonfiction books which were abridged specifically for Reader's Digest. The series was published from 1950 until 1997, when it was renamed Reader's Digest Select Editions.
The series was popular; a 1987 New York Times article estimated annual sales of 10 million copies. Despite this popularity, old copies are notoriously difficult to sell.
For much of their publication schedule, the volumes were issued four times each year. Each year the company produced a Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, and Volume 4. In later years they added a Volumes 5, and then a Volume 6, going to a bi-monthly schedule by the early 1990s. The series was produced for 47 years, until being renamed Reader's Digest Select Editions.
Occasional books such as The Leopard, The Days Were Too Short, and Papillon were not published in English originally but were abridgments of translations. In some cases, advanced copies of the hardcover edition were printed in paperback form. In a few cases, new editions of older works, , published originally in 1930 or Goodbye Mr. Chips, published originally in 1934 ) were also among the condensed selections.

1950s

1950

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
Volume 17 - Spring
Volume 18 - Summer
Volume 19 - Autumn
Volume 20 - Winter
Volume 22 - Summer
Volume 21 - Spring
Volume 23 - Autumn
Volume 24 - Winter
Volume 25 - Spring
Volume 26 - Summer
Volume 27 - Autumn
Volume 28 - Winter
Volume 29 - Spring
Volume 30 - Summer
Volume 31 - Autumn
Volume 32 - Winter
Volume 33 - Spring
Volume 34 - Summer
Volume 35 - Autumn
Volume 36 - Winter
Volume 37 - Spring
Volume 38 - Summer
Volume 39 - Autumn

1960

Volume 40 - Winter
Volume 41 - Spring
Volume 42 - Summer
Volume 43 - Autumn
Volume 44 - Winter
Volume 45 - Spring
Volume 46 - Summer
Volume 47 - Autumn
Volume 48 - Winter
Volume 49 - Spring
Volume 50 - Summer
Volume 51 - Autumn
Volume 52 - Winter
Volume 53 - Spring
Volume 54 - Summer
Volume 55 - Autumn
Volume 56 - Winter
Volume 57 - Spring
Volume 58 - Summer
Volume 59 - Autumn
Volume 60 - Winter
Volume 61 - Spring
Volume 62 - Summer
  • May You Die in Ireland - Michael Kenyon
  • Intern - Dr. X
  • The Source - James A. Michener
  • Night of Camp David - Fletcher Knebel
  • A House of Many Rooms - Rodello Hunter
Volume 63 - Autumn'
Volume 64 - Winter
Volume 65 - Spring
Volume 66 - Summer
Volume 67 - Autumn
Volume 68 - Winter
Volume 69 - Spring
Volume 70 - Summer
Volume 71 - Autumn
Volume 72 - Winter
Volume 73 - Spring
Volume 74 - Summer
Volume 75 - Autumn
Volume 76 - Winter
Volume 77 - Spring
Volume 78 - Summer
Volume 79 - Autumn

1970

Volume 80 - Winter
Volume 81 - Spring
Volume 82 - Summer
Volume 83 - Autumn
Volume 84 - Winter
Volume 85 - Spring
Volume 86 - Summer
Volume 87 - Autumn
Volume 88 - Winter
Volume 89 - Spring
Volume 90 - Summer
Volume 91 - Autumn
Volume 92 - #1
Volume 93 - #2
Volume 94 - #3
Volume 95 - #4
Volume 96 - #5
Volume 97 - #1
Volume 98 - #2
Volume 99 - #3
Volume 100 - #4
Volume 101 - #5
Volume 102 - #1
Volume 103 - #2
Volume 104 - #3
Volume 105 - #4
Volume 106 - #5
Volume 107 - #1
Volume 108 - #2
Volume 109 - #3
Volume 110 - #4
Volume 111 - #5
Volume 112 - #1
Volume 113 - #2
Volume 114 - #3
Volume 115 - #4
Volume 116 - #5
Volume 117 - #1
Volume 118 - #2
Volume 119 - #3
Volume 120 - #4
Volume 121 - #5
Volume 122 - #1
Volume 123 - #2
Volume 124 - #3
Volume 125 - #4
Volume 126 - #5

1980

Volume 127 - #1
Volume 128 - #2
Volume 129 – M
Volume 130 - #3
Volume 131 - #4
Volume 132 - #5
Volume 133 - #1
Volume 134 - #2
Volume 135 – M
Volume 136 - #3
Volume 137 - #4
Volume 138 - #5
Volume 139 - #1
Volume 140 - #2
Volume 141 - M
Volume 142 - #3
Volume 143 - #4
Volume 144 - #5
Volume 145 - #1
Volume 146 - #2
Volume 147 - M
Volume 148 - #3
Volume 149 - #4
Volume 150 - #5
Volume 151 - #1
Volume 152 - #2
Volume 153 - M
Volume 154 - #3
Volume 155 - #4
Volume 156 - #5
Volume 157 - #1
Volume 158 - #2
Volume 159 - M
Volume 160 - #3
Volume 161 - #4
Volume 162 - #5
Volume 163 - #1
Volume 164 - #2
Volume 165 - M
Volume 166 - #3
Volume 167 - #4
Volume 168 - #5
Volume 169 - #1
Volume 170 - #2
Volume 171 - M
Volume 172 - #3
Volume 173 - #4
Volume 174 - #5
Volume 175 - #1
Volume 176 - #2
Volume 177 - M
Volume 178 - #3
Volume 179 - #4
Volume 180 - #5
Volume 181 - #1
Volume 182 - #2
Volume 183 - M
Volume 184 - #3
Volume 185 - #4
Volume 186 - #5

1990

Volume 187 - #1
Volume 188 - #2
Volume 189 - M
Volume 190 - #3
Volume 191 - #4
Volume 192 - #5
Volume 193 - #1
Volume 194 - #2
Volume 195 - #3
Volume 196 - #4
Volume 197 - #5
Volume 198 - #6
Volume 199 - #1
Volume 200 - #2
Volume 201 - #3
Volume 202 - #4
Volume 203 - #5
Volume 204 - #6
Volume 205 - #1
Volume 206 - #2
Volume 207 - #3
Volume 208 - #4
Volume 209 - #5
Volume 210 - #6
Volume 211 - #1
Volume 212 - #2
Volume 213 - #3
Volume 214 - #4
Volume 215 - #5
Volume 216 - #6
Volume 217 - #1
Volume 218 - #2
Volume 219 - #3
Volume 220 - #4
Volume 221 - #5
Volume 222 - #6
Volume 223 - #1
Volume 224 - #2
Volume 225 - #3
Volume 226 - #4
Volume 227 - #5
Volume 228 - #6
Volume 229 - #1
Volume 230 - #2
Volume 231 - #3
Volume 232 - #4
These 1997 volumes were also published as Reader's Digest Select Editions, and all succeeding volumes were published as Reader's Digest Select Editions.