Routledge is a British publisher. It has changed names and owners many times since it was first formed by George Routledge (1812–1888) in 1836. The firm continued to grow until 1902 when it almost became bankrupt. However, it managed to recover after refinancing and began to buy up and merge with other publishing companies. From 1912 onwards, it increasingly focuses on academic publishing. It soon became well known for its books in humanities and social sciences. Taylor & Francis bought Routledge in 1998.