The first edition of The Radio Amateur's Handbook was published in November 1926 by the American Radio Relay League as a softcover manual.

The first edition in which a hardcover version was published appears to be the 3rd edition, 2nd printing which was published in 1928. The ARRL produced hardcover copies in red buckram until 1987.  From 1988 through 1994 they only produced hardcover copies and from 1995 through 1999 they only produced softcover copies. 

For the year 2000 they printed 2000 individually serial numbered leather coverd hardcover copies, and since 2000 they returned to printing both hardcover and softcover handbooks. The hardcover books are no longer in red buckram but are printed with multicolor graphics.

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Photos

Notes:

   Privately bound copies of the softcover versions are easy to spot, they are not in red buckram, and do not have the characteristic ARRL imprints (logo and lettering) on the covers.


   Sizes have changed over the years. From 1926 to 1935, the Handbooks were 6.5" x 9.5" and about 3/8" thick. In 1936 there was a change in format with a substantial increase in the number of pages so that the thickness went up to 1.25".  The 8.5" x 11"  size you see today began in 1979, again with a change in format and substantial increase in content.

   The title has also changed. Originally, "The Radio Amateur's Handbook", in 1985 it became "The ARRL Handbook for the Radio Amateur", in 1991 it was changed to "The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs", and in 2003 it became "The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications".

   Only 2000 leather bound copies with serial numbers were produced in the year 2000.   In 2006 a reproduction of the first edition 1926 handbook was included with the purchase of the 2006 Handbook from the ARRL.