Stackpole Books
An American trade publisher specializing in nonfiction about military history, outdoor pursuits, crafts, regional subjects, travel, and military reference.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Stackpole Books is an American trade publishing brand based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Its modern publishing program is centered on practical and specialist nonfiction, particularly military history and military reference, outdoor recreation, fly fishing, crafts, regional subjects, and travel. The imprint is known for books intended to be useful to enthusiasts and general readers, including field guides, how-to titles, historical studies, reference works, and regional books. The company traces its corporate background to the Telegraph Press, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, newspaper and publishing enterprise in which E. J. Stackpole Sr. acquired a controlling interest in 1901. The publishing interests associated with Telegraph expanded in 1930 when the National Service Publishing Company, a Washington, D.C., firm established in 1921, was acquired and renamed the Military Service Publishing Company. That division produced instructional and reference books for the armed services, including Army Officer’s Guide, a title that continued in updated editions under Stackpole Books. Also in 1930, Edward J. Stackpole Jr. and his brother Albert established Stackpole Sons, a trade-book operation with additional offices in New York City. The imprint began issuing books in 1936 across a broad range of subjects, including fiction and popular biography. Its authors and subjects included Damon Runyon, John Fante, Benny Goodman, and Huey Long. A short-lived association with the Heck Company created Stackpole & Heck in the 1940s; after that arrangement ended, the trade operation became the Stackpole Company. During the Second World War, the military publishing division issued inexpensive paperback reprints for service members. Its Superior Reprints series, published in 1944 and 1945, consisted of compact mystery and detective fiction titles designed to be portable in military clothing. Unlike the free Armed Services Editions, these books were sold to soldiers, although they served a similar recreational purpose. Stackpole increasingly emphasized nonfiction during the 1950s, especially outdoor subjects and history. The house published influential wilderness and natural-history works by Bradford Angier, including books on edible and medicinal wild plants, wild foods, and prospecting. Edward J. Stackpole Jr. also wrote important works on the American Civil War, including studies of Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Sheridan’s Shenandoah campaign. In 1959, the military and trade publishing operations were combined under the Stackpole Books name. In subsequent decades, Stackpole maintained its military-history and military-reference identity while expanding its outdoor list, with particular recognition for fly-fishing books. Crafts, regional publishing, and travel became additional areas of activity. The company was acquired by Rowman & Littlefield in 2015 and operates within that publishing group, with Stackpole Books presented as an imprint of Globe Pequot. Stackpole Magazines, a related magazine operation, was sold separately to Ampry Publishing in 2016. The brand remains an active nonfiction publisher.
History
Stackpole Books developed from a group of publishing and newspaper interests connected with the Telegraph Press in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The broader corporate lineage reaches back to the Evening Telegraph, a newspaper established in the nineteenth century. In 1901, E. J. Stackpole Sr. acquired controlling interest in the Telegraph Press, creating the business framework from which the later book operations emerged. A major step occurred in 1930, when Telegraph acquired the National Service Publishing Company. Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1921, National Service Publishing had specialized in military educational material. After the acquisition it became the Military Service Publishing Company and continued producing books for members and institutions of the armed services. Its list included military instructional and reference material, most notably Army Officer’s Guide, which survived as an updated publication after the later consolidation into Stackpole Books. The year 1930 also saw the creation of Stackpole Sons by E. J. Stackpole Jr. and his brother Albert Stackpole. This trade division maintained offices in Harrisburg and New York City and began publishing books in 1936. Its early list was broader than the specialist nonfiction for which Stackpole is now best known. It included fiction by Damon Runyon and John Fante, as well as autobiographical and biographical works associated with figures such as Benny Goodman and Huey Long. A temporary merger with the Heck Company produced the name Stackpole & Heck during the 1940s, but the partnership ended and the trade operation returned to the Stackpole Company name. The military division had a distinct wartime role. During the Second World War, Military Service Publishing Company issued compact, inexpensive paperbacks for soldiers. The Superior Reprints series appeared in 1944 and 1945, with twenty-one numbered titles running from M637 through M657. These books generally emphasized accessible mystery and detective fiction. They were made small enough for carrying in uniform pockets and complemented the free Armed Services Editions, although Superior Reprints were commercial products sold to service members rather than distributed without charge. After the war, the company’s trade publishing direction moved increasingly toward nonfiction. During the 1950s, Stackpole developed a strong presence in outdoor subjects and history. Bradford Angier became one of the house’s notable outdoor authors, writing works on wild foods, edible plants, medicinal plants, and prospecting. Several of these subjects remained in circulation through later editions. Edward J. Stackpole Jr., a decorated First World War general as well as a publisher and author, contributed a substantial Civil War list, including books on Gettysburg, the Fredericksburg campaign, Chancellorsville, and Sheridan’s operations in the Shenandoah Valley. In 1959, the Military Service Publishing Company and the trade operation were merged under the Stackpole Books name. The unified publisher retained its military reference and history heritage while building a broader nonfiction program. Over time, outdoor publishing became a prominent part of the list, including books for anglers and a particularly visible group of fly-fishing titles. Crafts, regional subjects, and travel later expanded the brand’s reach beyond its original military and historical base. In 1993, the company moved its headquarters from Harrisburg to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where the publisher remains based. In 2015, Rowman & Littlefield acquired Stackpole Books. The brand subsequently operated as an imprint within the Globe Pequot group, while continuing to publish specialist nonfiction under the Stackpole name. The associated Stackpole Magazines business was sold to Ampry Publishing in 2016. Stackpole Books remains active, with its identity grounded in military history and reference, outdoor recreation, practical guides, crafts, regional books, and travel.
- 2016
Stackpole Magazines sold to Ampry Publishing
[1]The related magazine operation was transferred to Ampry Publishing.
- 2015
Acquisition by Rowman & Littlefield
[1]Rowman & Littlefield purchased Stackpole Books and incorporated the brand into its publishing portfolio.
- 1993
Headquarters moved to Mechanicsburg
[1]Stackpole moved from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to its current headquarters in Mechanicsburg.
- 1959
Military Service Publishing and the trade operation were merged
[1]The combined business adopted the Stackpole Books name.
- 1944
Superior Reprints series launched
[1]Military Service Publishing Company issued compact paperback reprints for soldiers, continuing the series into 1945.
- 1936
Stackpole Sons began publishing books
[1]The trade list included fiction, biographies, and autobiographical works in addition to later nonfiction specialties.
- 1930
Telegraph acquired National Service Publishing
[1]The acquired company was renamed Military Service Publishing Company and continued issuing books for the armed services.
- 1930
Stackpole Sons was founded
[1]Edward J. Stackpole Jr. and Albert Stackpole created a trade publishing operation that began issuing books in 1936.
- 1921
National Service Publishing Company was established
[1]The Washington, D.C., company later became the military publishing division associated with Stackpole.
- 1901
E. J. Stackpole Sr. acquired control of Telegraph Press
[1]The acquisition established the corporate publishing lineage that later led to Stackpole’s book operations.
Products and positioning
A specialist nonfiction publisher serving military-history readers, outdoor enthusiasts, anglers, crafters, travelers, and readers seeking practical or regional reference works.
Military reference
Army Officer’s Guide
A long-running military reference title originating with the Military Service Publishing Company. It provided practical information for Army officers and continued in revised and updated editions under Stackpole Books, linking the modern imprint to its military-publishing heritage.
Military paperback reprints · 1944
Superior Reprints
A wartime series of compact paperback fiction reprints produced in 1944 and 1945 for service members. Twenty-one titles were issued with consecutive numbers M637 through M657. The series focused largely on mystery and detective fiction and was designed for portability.
Outdoor and wilderness nonfiction
Bradford Angier outdoor guides
Stackpole’s outdoor list includes Bradford Angier works concerning wild foods, edible plants, medicinal plants, wilderness living, and prospecting. Titles such as Feasting Free on Wild Edibles, Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants, and Looking for Gold helped establish the house’s practical outdoor identity and have remained available in later editions.
Military history
American Civil War history
The company has published a significant body of American Civil War history, including works by Edward J. Stackpole Jr. on Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Sheridan’s Shenandoah campaign. These books reflect Stackpole’s long-standing emphasis on accessible historical narrative and military reference.
Outdoor recreation
Fly-fishing books
Fly fishing is one of Stackpole’s most recognizable outdoor publishing areas. The list serves anglers through instructional, practical, regional, and reference-oriented books, reinforcing the imprint’s connection with specialist outdoor communities.
Lifestyle and regional nonfiction
Crafts, regional, and travel books
In addition to military and outdoor subjects, Stackpole publishes nonfiction about crafts, regional interests, and travel. These lines broaden the imprint’s audience while retaining its practical, enthusiast-oriented approach to trade publishing.
Brand decisions
2016
Sale of Stackpole MagazinesM&ABackground
The magazine operation was separate from the core Stackpole Books trade publishing program.
Action taken
Stackpole Magazines was sold to Ampry Publishing.
Aftermath
The transaction separated the magazine business from the book-publishing brand.
2015
Acquisition by Rowman & LittlefieldM&ABackground
Stackpole Books was an established specialist nonfiction publisher with recognized military, outdoor, and history lists.
Action taken
Rowman & Littlefield acquired Stackpole Books.
Aftermath
Stackpole continued as a publishing brand within the Rowman & Littlefield portfolio and was associated with the Globe Pequot imprint group.
1959
Consolidation under the Stackpole Books nameStrategyBackground
The company had operated through separate military and trade publishing divisions with different historical identities.
Action taken
The Military Service Publishing Company and the trade operation were combined into a single publishing business called Stackpole Books.
Aftermath
The unified brand preserved its military reference heritage while expanding its trade nonfiction program into history, outdoor subjects, crafts, regional publishing, and travel.
Recent events
- 2016
Stackpole Magazines sold to Ampry Publishing[1]
M&A
The magazine operation associated with Stackpole was sold to Ampry Publishing. The transaction separated the magazine business from the Stackpole Books publishing brand.
- 2015
Rowman & Littlefield acquired Stackpole Books[1]
M&A
Rowman & Littlefield acquired Stackpole Books, bringing the established military, outdoor, history, crafts, regional, and travel publisher into its publishing portfolio.
Sources2 sources
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