Originally published in 1934, The House of Routledge, 1834-1934, was published for the company’s centenary. It tells the story of George Routledge and how he forged his way to the forefront of publishing by ‘sheer indomitable energy’. One of the objects of the work was to place on record the crowded story of his life. Turning back many forgotten or half-forgotten pages of literary and publishing history – with their glimpses of bygone haunts; of buccaneering practices in the bad old days before copyright brought protection at long last to English and American authors alike; of “Yellow Backs” and other Victorian libraries. It also covers the fortunes of other associated publishing houses of the time.

F. A. (Frank Arthur) Mumby (1872–1954) was a journalist and historian of the British book trade.