Who's Who 2008: Print and online set

Who's Who is the essential register of information about 'the people who matter' in public life today, in Britain and in key roles elsewhere. Published annually in print since 1849 by A & C Black, it is the first and most famous reference work of its kind. From 2008, Who's Who will be published by Oxford University Press for the first time in a dedicated online edition which enables readers to make the most of its rich biographical information. In its new form Who's Who will also for the first time be regularly updated throughout the year. Who's Who gives current vital information about more than 32,000 people, detailing birthdays, families, education, career, publications and creative works, personal interests, clubs, and addresses. Being selected for inclusion in Who's Who is seen as a unique mark of distinction in Britain, and the information is truly authoritative: gathered from the individuals themselves, from the Prime Minister down, it is carefully checked and standardized by the editors of Who's Who at A & C Black. Who's Who is therefore the essential reference point for people in government, business, professional and cultural institutions, education, and charities, as well as a fascinating reflection of wider society for a general readership. While Who's Who profiles the living, Who Was Who collects together the entries of more than 100,000 people who were included in the register but have died since 1897. Together they provide an unparalleled collection of 'autobiographical' records which complement and extend Oxford's collections of lively and authoritative biographies in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford Reference Online, and the Grove dictionaries of Art and Music. This print and online set, available exclusively from OUP, offers the best of both worlds: a permanent record in the form of the famous annual red volume (edited and published by A & C Black), and a personal, single-user subscription for 12 months to the new OUP online service that includes both Who's Who and Who Was Who. Review What is it that really puts the stamp of eminence on a modern British life? Two things count today: having an entry in Who's Who and being asked to choose your eight favourite records on BBC's Desert Island Discs. ( Wall Street Journal) A mirror to the trends, culture and eccentricities of the day ( Financial Times) The famous red covers of Who's Who are exclusive and only the enduringly notable get into them. After a week with the new Who's Who (and though it's heavy to pick up) "you can't put it down" best describes my feeling. ( Matthew Parris, The Times) As a journalist I'd be lost without Who's Who ( Michael Crick) Who's Who is a mirror in which society glimpses a reflection of its own achievement. ( The Times)