Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press, the University of Cambridge's publisher since letters patent of 1534, first printed in 1584 and first published Whitehead and Russell's Principia Mathematica.
- Editions tracked
- 93
- First editions
- 59
- Books
- 89
- Years
- 1910 to 2024
About Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge and is widely described as the oldest university press in the world, its authority dating from letters patent granted by Henry VIII in 1534.
The press did not print at once: Thomas Thomas set up its first printing house in 1584, and his first publication was Two Treatises of the Lord His Holie Supper. John Legate printed the first Cambridge Bible in 1591, and a Cambridge folio of the King James Bible followed in 1629. Other landmarks include George Herbert's The Temple (1633), John Baskerville's folio Bible of 1763 and the second edition of Isaac Newton's Principia in 1713.
In the twentieth century the press first published Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell's Principia Mathematica in three volumes (1910, 1912 and 1913). J. J. Thomson's Elements of the Mathematical Theory of Electricity and Magnetism (1895) was the first book it issued by a future Nobel laureate, and its authors over the centuries include John Milton, William Harvey, Newton, Russell and Stephen Hawking.
In August 2021 the press merged with Cambridge Assessment to form Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It keeps its own identity inside the combined body as the academic and Bible publishing division, and remains part of the University of Cambridge.
How to spot a Cambridge University Press first edition
We have not yet written the guide to Cambridge University Press's first-edition conventions. Until we do, check each book's own page: we list its points where we know them. Know how Cambridge University Press marked its firsts? Tell us.
AuthorsAlfred North Whitehead (3)Jonathan Baron (2)Penelope Brown (2)Noam Chomsky (2)Eric Hobsbawm (2)Charles Holcombe (2)Roger Penrose (2)Erwin Schrödinger (2)Richard Sennett (2)Peter Singer (2)
Published by Cambridge University Press
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify a Cambridge University Press first edition?
Check the title page and the copyright page: a Cambridge University Press first edition gives the first date of publication with no later impression or edition stated. Each book's page here lists its own points.
How many Cambridge University Press books does MyVolumes track?
We track 93 editions published by Cambridge University Press, 59 of them first editions, across 89 books.
Where these facts come from
- Cambridge University Press, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Cambridge University Press (Q912887), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
- Principia Mathematica, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026.