TAN Books

TAN Books is a traditional Catholic book distributor and publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was founded in 1967, as "TAN Books and Publishers", in Rockford, Illinois by Thomas A. Nelson—the "TAN" serving as a monogram for Nelson's initials—to keep in print books teaching the traditional Catholic faith in the wake of the upheaval in the Church that followed the Second Vatican Council. Over the next 40 years, TAN published hundreds of new and classic titles on theology, Scripture, Church history, traditional devotions (including St. Louis de Montfort's Secret of the Rosary, printing more than 4 million copies), and the lives of the saints, many of which were reprints of titles published by such notable American Catholic publishers as Benziger Brothers and B. Herder Book Company. In 1971, TAN republished the Douay–Rheims Bible, which had fallen out of print by the late 1960s, photographically reproducing it from the 1899 John Murphy & Co. edition.

Financial problems led TAN to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2005. The company was subsequently acquired by Saint Benedict Press in 2008. Following its acquisition, "TAN Books and Publishers" was renamed "TAN Books", with the "TAN" acronym now standing for Tuum Adoremus Nomen (Latin for "Let Us Adore Thy Name"). The company has aimed to improve the quality of its products by commissioning new book covers and employing more durable book construction. New titles, post-acquisition by Saint Benedict Press, include a range of newly-typeset Douay–Rheims Bibles (including a leather-bound version), putting the company in direct competition with other traditional Catholic publishers with similar products, including Refuge of Sinners Publishing, Angelus Press, Sophia Publications, Baronius Press and Loreto Publications.

In 2013, TAN acquired Neumann Press, a Catholic reprint house.