This little book, part of the Collins Gem series, first made its appearance in 1985 under the title The Night Sky. It went through numerous reprints and was retitled Stars in 1999. The following year a revised edition appeared, with updated text and completely redrawn maps by Wil Tirion. The pages for this revised edition were produced by me on Quark XPress. This is the edition that is currently in print, with various changes of cover over the years. A US edition appeared in 2005 under the Smithsonian imprint.
Gem Stars is an Andromeda-to-Vulpecula guide to the constellations. Seasonal charts for both hemispheres and an all-sky mini atlas are followed by individual charts and descriptions of each constellation. This book can be thought of as the junior relation of the Collins Guide to Stars & Planets and is usable worldwide. Only 3¼ inches wide and 4⅝ deep, this book is easily portable. Put the Universe in your pocket for a fiver!