Cassell (publisher)

Cassell is a British-origin book publishing house established in 1848 by John Cassell (1817–1865). Founded in London, the firm grew rapidly during the late nineteenth century and evolved into an international publishing group by the 1890s, becoming recognised for its broad catalogue of educational, reference, and general-interest works. In the modern era, Cassell Publishers maintains operations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and is widely regarded as the contemporary successor to the historic company founded by John Cassell.

In 1995, Cassell plc acquired Pinter Publishers. In December 1998, Cassell plc was bought by the Orion Publishing Group. In January 2002, Cassell imprints, including the Cassell Reference and Cassell Military, were joined with the Weidenfeld imprints to form a new division under the name of Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd. Cassell Illustrated survives as an imprint of the Octopus Publishing Group. In 1996, Cassell Publishers was relaunched in North America to continue the legacy of John Cassell.