Editing Whitaker's Almanack (section)

==First publication==
[[Joseph Whitaker (publisher)|Joseph Whitaker]] began preparing his Almanack in the autumn of 1868.<ref>{{EB1911|wstitle = Whitaker, Joseph|volume=28}}</ref> He postponed publication of the first edition on learning of the resignation of [[Benjamin Disraeli]] on 1 December 1868, so that he could include details of the new [[First Gladstone ministry|Gladstone administration]]. At the same time, Whitaker continued to expand the information so that the initially planned 329 pages grew to 370. The first edition of the Almanack appeared on 23 December 1868,<ref>"Whitaker's Almanack" (advertisement), ''The Times'', 21 December 1868, p. 14.</ref> priced at 1 [[Shilling (British coin)|shilling]], introduced by a short editorial piece written by Joseph Whitaker. It began "The Editor does not put forward this Almanack as perfect: yet he ventures to think that he has succeeded in preparing a work which will commend itself to those who desire to see improvement in this direction." It concluded by inviting critics to suggest ways in which improvements could be made.<ref>"Advertisement", "An Almanack For the Year of Our Lord 1869. By Joseph Whitaker.", J. Whitaker, 1868, p. 6.</ref>

''[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]]'', reviewing the first edition, described it as "the largest of the cheap almanacks" to appear, and noted it contained a great deal more valuable information than other such works.<ref>"Almanacks", ''Manchester Guardian'', 27 December 1868, p. 3.</ref> In 2013, the 2014 edition became the first to be published under the new simpler branding of "''Whitaker's''".<ref>{{cite book|title=Whitaker's Almanack 2014|publisher= Bloomsbury Yearbooks|year=2013|isbn=978-1408193334}}</ref>