Books of Quotations
Last updated: April 28, 2024
The age of the internet has brought with it a deluge of inaccurate quotations, with many of us left in the dark as to who said what, when and if their alleged words bear any resemblance at all to what was originally said. Nor is it easy to get to the bottom of whether a quotation is real or not. If it's from a book, you can track it down, but elsewhere the source might be vaguer and not easy to get in front of. For that reason, if you like quotes, it's worth investing in a reliable book of quotations, where an editor has done the work for you. Two of the books of quotations we use here at Five Books are listed below: worth consulting if you ever do want to accurately quote Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln or Marilyn Monroe. They can be quite fun to read too.
The New Yale Book of Quotations
by Fred Shapiro (editor)
First published in 2006, this edition of The New Yale Book of Quotations appeared in 2021. It takes a broad view of what a quotation is and so includes, for example, lines not just from Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), but also Taylor Swift (1989-): "You look like my next mistake//Love's a game, wanna play?" The book covers everything but is particularly strong on US quotes. On the front cover, amongst others, are the words of Margaret Mead (1901-1978): "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
by Elizabeth Knowles (editor)
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is probably the most authoritative book of quotations, especially if you're UK-based. It's now in its 8th edition, which appeared in 2014. The book is strong on ancient authors—e.g. Cicero, Lucretius, Virgil—but aims to stay up to date (the opening quote is from Iraqi archaeologist Raid Abdul Ridhar Mohammed, after the country's National Museum was looted in 2003). Given we're in the book business, one of our favourites here at Five Books is from Jane Austen (Northanger Abbey ch. 5):
"Oh! it is only a novel!…only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda:’ or, in short, only some work in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour are conveyed to the world in the best chosen language."
