Ciderland by James Crowden

Title: Ciderland
Author: James Crowden
Year: 2008
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 256
Price new: £18.29 (Amazon)*
Price used: £5.56   (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
Lots of nice pictures with plenty of information on cider and it's history. The biggest part of the book is taken up with in depth profiles of 20 cidermakers from the Three Counties and the South West.

On the back of the book it says:
The South-west of England is justly famous for it's wide variety of delicious ciders. Although the drink has been produced there for centuries, over the last thirty years there has been a quiet revolution in the industry characterised by a steady growth in the number of new cider producers. These cidermakers vary from small, local companies to well established outfits pumping out millions of gallons a year.
In Ciderland, James Crowden explores the history and culture of cidermaking (and cider drinking) from the seventeenth century to the present day, and takes us on a tour around the West Country and beyond, visiting a large number of cidermakers who communicate a rare infectious passion for their age-old art. He also takes a look at the rise of perry-making and profiles the people dedicated to getting the best out of their local pears. One very important section covers the history of sparkling cider and the evolution of methode champenois in England from 1632 onwards. In addition Ciderland also includes comprehensive summaries and descriptions of most cider and perry producers from the Channel Islands to Herefordshire. The result is magnificent companion to a drink that is enjoying a widespread and well deserved renaissance.
JAMES CROWDEN was born in Plymouth and brought up on the edge of Dartmoor. After Bristol Oxford and the Army, he lived for various periods in Afghanistan, the Outer Hebrides and the West Country, and has worked as a shepherd, sheep-shearer, cidermaker and forester. He has written numerous books including several volumes of poetry and local history, and also appears regularly on TV and Radio 4.