Pen and Sword Books: About Us

About Pen & Sword Books

Pen & Sword Books is one of the leading independent publishers of non-fiction books in the UK, publishing across a range of specialist imprints and niche subject areas.

The Pen & Sword Group is also the majority shareholder in Script Publisher Services, one of the leading global distributors of books for other publishers across the world.

Pen & Sword Books and Script Publisher Services both use the group's own state-of-the-art book distribution hub in South Yorkshire, P&S Distribution.

The Pen & Sword Books imprints include:

Pen & Sword – the original imprint is now world renown as the leading imprint for specialist military history books.
White Owl – this imprint publishes stunning, accessible and entertaining books covering a variety of topics including lifestyle, wildlife, gardening, space and sports, written by the leading experts in their fields.
Seaforth Publishing - produces the very best maritime books, whether they be narrative histories, definitive reference works, ship monographs or modelling books.
Frontline Books produce the finest military history publications across all eras and subjects, from Ancient Greece and Rome to the two world wars and the conflicts of the twenty-first century.
Fonthill Media – acquired in early 2025, the Fonthill imprint covers a variety of subjects including archaeology and ancient history, aviation, biography, local history and heritage, military and general history, sport, transport and industrial history.
White Owl Collectables – having acquired Spink Books in Summer 2025, White Owl Collectables is the world's leading publisher of numismatics books, and also publishes books across a wide range of collectables such as film memorabilia, jewellery, watches and toys.
Pen & Sword Transport – this imprint remembers the classic days of British transport covering all periods of railways, buses, trams, cars, canals and bikes, and providing a nostalgic look back at classic engines and vehicles.
Air World - written and compiled by experts and enthusiasts, Air World explores every aspect of aviation from detailed analysis of aircraft types and famous airline organizations to record-breaking flights and heroic deeds.

The Pen & Sword Group is part of the Acredula Group, a publishing group based in South Yorkshire that also has interests in local newspaper publishing, magazine publishing and events. Acredula Group continues to publish one of the UK's oldest provincial newspapers, Barnsley Chronicle, which was first published in 1858 and remains one of the highest circulating local newspapers in the UK.