Polity
Polity is an academic publisher in the social sciences and humanities. It was established in 1984 in Cambridge by Anthony Giddens, David Held and John Thompson at the University of Cambridge. Giddens later reported: "We didn't have any publishing experience or money".
Also recorded as Polity Press
Polity
amazon.com · Public domain
- Founded
- 1984.
- Headquarters
- Cambridge.
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Polity is an academic publisher in the social sciences and humanities. It was established in 1984 in Cambridge by Anthony Giddens, David Held and John Thompson at the University of Cambridge. Giddens later reported: "We didn't have any publishing experience or money".
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gnd · 1229671412 · wikidata · Q7225420
In this article
Overview
Overview
Polity remains a private limited company, with the sociologist John Thompson at Jesus College, Cambridge listed as director. Giddens resigned as director in 2008, and Held died in 2019. Assets were audited at more than £4m in 2022. The company now has offices in Cambridge and Oxford in the United Kingdom, and New York City and Boston in the United States. The company specializes in the areas of sociology, politics, philosophy, history, media, political economy and related fields, aiming to publish textbooks and course books for students and scholars as well as academic texts in these fields. Polity also publishes trade books for a general readership. Its books are distributed worldwide by Wiley.
Key facts
Key facts
• Status — Active • Founder — * Anthony Giddens • David Held • John Thompson • Country — United Kingdom • Headquarters — Cambridge • Distribution — John Wiley and Sons • Publications — Books Polity is an academic publisher in the social sciences and humanities. It was established in 1984 in Cambridge by Anthony Giddens, David Held and John Thompson at the University of Cambridge. Giddens later reported: "We didn't have any publishing experience or money". Polity remains a private limited company, with the sociologist John Thompson at Jesus College, Cambridge listed as director. Giddens resigned as director in 2008, and Held died in 2019. Assets were audited at more than £4m in 2022. The company now has offices in Cambridge and Oxford in the United Kingdom, and New York City and Boston in the United States. The company specializes in the areas of sociology, politics, philosophy, history, media, political economy and related fields, aiming to publish textbooks and course books for students and scholars as well as academic texts in these fields. Polity also publishes trade books for a general readership. Its books are distributed worldwide by Wiley.
Identity
Identity
Polity is recorded from 1984.
Institutional history
Dated record
Institutional history
The full dated record · 2 entries
1984
Polity established.
1984
Polity is recorded from 1984.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1229671412, polity (Firma).
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7225420: Polity
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Literature
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authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1229671412, polity (Firma).Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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Secondary witness
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Naming and authority record.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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