Ben Schott's almanacs seemed to have kicks-tarted the trend and the Robson Books Companion series followed.

So a book the same size and in a similar style, but all about our favourite county, should find a decent market this Christmas.
But is it worth dipping into your festive budget for?
Well, in short, yes.
Carol Twinch, born in Eye and author of Ipswich, Street by Street, has collected nearly 200 pages of facts and tales - some taller than others.
It is an essential primer for anyone who wants to sound knowledgeable but hasn't the time to trawl through the whole contents of the bibliography listed at the back.
Denizens of Sudbury will probably know at which church the pickled head of Archbishop Simon Theobald. Former Suffolk schoolboys will surely be able to come up with the modern name for Beodricsworth.
Readers of the Suffolk Free Press will probably know which pub has the first nine-metre high wind turbine to help supply its power.
But which village has the most thatched cottages? How did the Roundheads get their name? And why is a greengage so called? Potential answers are all in this book.
A wonderful chapter rounds up some of the more colourful and quirky epitaphs to be found in Suffolk churchyards.
Another section, suffolk Folk, tells the stories of those, from bare-knuckle fighters to women who served in the Serbian army, who have illuminated the county's history.
Knowing more about the past can never be a bad thing. It allows you to raise an eyebrow as the county moves back towards being governed by East and West Suffolk councils, a potential outcome of the government's latest tinkering.
This book gives a brief history of wll that's gone before, including what we had before the last big shake-up in 1972 - an East and West Suffolk.
More sombrely, as we drift towards lengthy detention without trial and the introduction of ID cards, it's worth reminding ourselves of where the first sparks of our modern liberties were struck.
The tale of how the barons got together at the former Beodricsworth, in 1214, and swore to take on the overbearing King John with Magna Carta is also worth bearing in mind.
The Little Book of Suffolk, by Carol Twinch, is available in hardback, published by Breedon Books, priced £9.99.