About David & Charles

David & Charles is an international publisher of illustrated non-fiction books.

Founded in Devon in 1960 by David St John Thomas and Charles Hadfield, D&C became renowned for its classic books on the railways and canals of the UK. Although David & Charles have expanded into new areas, this heritage continues today.

In 1971, D&C bought Readers' Union, a group of book clubs catering to enthusiasts of needlecraft, gardening, equestrian pursuits and photography. D&Cs publishing programme began to reflect these subject areas, moving away from the traditional transport titles for which they had become famous.

In 2000, D&C was acquired by F+W Publications (now F+W Media), a leading US publisher of special interest books and magazines. F+W's audiences include genealogists and family historians, graphic designers, fine artists, writers, crafters, quilters, photographers and woodworkers.

During 2002 and 2003, F+W added Krause publications and Adams Media to the group stable, making these imprints available through D&C to the UK and international markets.

In 2009, after over 70 years of book club history, D&C and Readers' Union took a bold step and relaunched its book club business with a new web eCommerce and mail order focus. The new sites at www.rucraft.co.uk and www.rubooks.co.uk have become the route for direct book sales to consumers.

To find out more about our imprint partners, please click below:

David & Charles operates direct to consumer business through two ecommerce stores: