Orchard, a year in the life of a Herefordshire cider orchard by Gareth Rees-Roberts

Title: Orchard A year in the life of a Herefordshire cider orchard
Author: Gareth Rees-Roberts
Year: 2009
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 136
Price new: £5.00 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
An introduction and 136 big pages of colour pictures of one orchard at all times of the year.

On the back of the book it says:
"This is  book that needs few words, being a visual  contemplation of a year in the life of a sixty-acre cider orchard. The photographs allow you to meander through the trees on paths made by sheep, to stand and feel the warming rays of the morning sun, to wander along the garlanded spring avenues, to shelter from the summer rain under dark green boughs, to observe the activity of spiders revealed by the autumn dew shining in their webs, to imagine the flavour of cider made from the varieties of ripening apples, and to consider the moods of the year and the passing of time.
Gareth Rees-Roberts attended St. Martins School of Art before going on to study the guitar at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was awarded the Julian Bream Prize for his playing. He has lived in the Welsh Marches for over thirty years, working as a musician and instrumental teacher, and as a freelance photographer. In 1983 he was founder and first chairman of Mid Border Arts, and was responsible for the running of the first Presteigne Festival. In 1997 he was elected as an  associate of the Royal Photographic society. Since the 1980s he has held more than a dozen solo exhibitions, mainly of his black and white landscape photographs, which he develops and prints using traditional darkroom methods and materials."

Cider by CAMRA Books

Title: Cider
Author: CAMRA Books
Year: 2009
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 189
Price new: £12.08 (Amazon)*
Price used: £0.01(Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
Lots of nice pictures and articles from various contributors such as Ted Bruning, Dave Matthews and Tom Oliver on Cidermaking, Cider At Home, Cider Abroad and Conservation with lots of useful information. Easy to read and a good all round introduction to the subject.

On the back of the book it says:
"Proper cider and perry - sprightly and gloriously sharp - made with apples and pears and nothing but, is a wonderful drink. But there's so much more to it than that. It has lore and legend, magic and mystique. More than any other native British beverage, it connects the drinker with the countryside, with country people of the past and their customs and beliefs. Take a golden glass of cider, and one sip can conjure up a scene of autumn mists strolling lazily over gently sloping fields, ancient hedgerows and orchards laden with ripe fruit. But to experience all of this for yourself you must do more than merely drink - you must visit the ancient orchards. With beautiful colour photography, Cider meets the people who tend our orchards, live with them and extract their refreshing liquid essence.
Cider is a lavishly illustrated celebration of real cider and it's cousin perry, for anyone who wants to learn more about Britain's oldest drink. With features on the UK's most interesting and characterful cider and perry makers, how to make your own cider, foreign ciders, and the best places to drink cider - including unique dedicated cider houses, award winning pubs and year-round CAMRA festivals all over the country - Cider is the essential book for any cider or perry lover."

Making Cider: Crossman's Cider Made in Britain by Jon Kent

Title: Making Cider: Crossman's Cider Made in Britain
Author: Jon Kent
Year: 2014
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 63
Price new: £10.00 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
Approx 50% pictures documenting a year in the life of Crossman's Cider

On the back of the book it says:
365 days
16 varieties of apple
1,493 hours of sun light
10,000 gallons of cider
And more than 50,000 bees !
Photojournalist Jon Kent spends a year discovering how traditional Somerset Cider is made and the people that make it all  possible !

The Guide To Welsh Perry & Cider by Pete Brown and Bill Bradshaw

Title: The Guide To Welsh Perry & Cider
Author: Pete Brown and Bill Bradshaw
Year: 2013
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 108
Price new: £9.88 (Amazon)*
Price used: £7.70 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
A good introduction to cider and perry with details of 27 Welsh producers.

On the back of the book it says:
Whether you're a cider aficionado or just someone who enjoys what they eat and drink, no visit to Wales is complete without sampling the locally made craft cider and perry. From a point of virtual extinction in the late twentieth century, the Welsh cider making tradition has exploded since the millennium, making Wales one of the most exciting cider and perry making regions in the UK.

Good artisanal cider and perry are natural drinks which can rival wine as well as beer, offer a great accompaniment to food and have a variety of styles and flavours way beyond the stuff you usually pour over a glass of ice. This book  tells you what Welsh cider and perry are, how they are made and how to get the most out of them.

Includes:
The surprising history of cider and perry in Wales
A directory of Welsh cider and perry makers
A guide to the best cider and perry pubs in Wales
Festivals and events throughout the year where cider and perry can't be missed

The Naked Guide To Cider by James Russell

Title: The Naked Guide To Cider
Author: James Russell
Year: 2010
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 237
Price new: £6.01 (Amazon)*
Price used: £0.01 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
This book covers most aspects of cider in bitesized easy to read chunks.

On the back of the book it says:
Cider and perry are enjoying a boom, but today's generation of cider enthusiasts want to do more than drink cider. As sales of  small-scale mills and presses show, they want to try making cider for themselves. They also want to explore cider country - to drink in legendary cider pubs and learn more about orchards and apple varieties. They want to get involved, to make and discover things for themselves, and The Naked Guide To Cider will  show them how.
This is a new kind of cider book for a new generation of cider lovers. The Naked Guide To Cider will introduce cider lovers to the history and culture of their favorite tipple, and demonstrate, in vivid detail and with clear step-by-step instructions, how to make their own cider. At the same time it will help people to explore cider country, showing where they can visit and where they can drink, buy or learn about cider.

In Search Of Cider by Alan Stone

Title: In Search Of Cider Cider and Cider Makers in Cornwall, Devon Dorset and Somerset
Author: Alan Stone
Year: 2012
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 223
Price new: £9.99 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
Mostly the back stories of possibly all of the cider producers in the counties listed above.

On the back of the book it says:
"More than 100 cider makers have been hunted out and interviewed in Alan  Stone's epic journey around the four south westernmost counties. Someone had to do it and he could think of a lot worse things to do.
He paints a detailed picture of the cider heritage both as it has been and as it is now as cider enjoys a revival that has brought back a 'golden age' last seen in the 17th and 18th centuries.
This is essential reading for anyone who enjoys cider and wants to find out more."

Golden Fire: The Story Of Cider by Ted Bruning

Title: Golden Fire: The Story Of Cider

Author: Ted Bruning

Year: 2012

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 210

Price new: £6.95 (Amazon)*

*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)

The long journey through the history of cider presented from it's beginnings to the modern day in order. 

On the back of the book it says:

"Cider is a drink whose time has come. Twenty years ago it was a minority taste competing with lager for a share of the keg-and can market, and much favoured by under-age and problem drinkers for it's strength and cheapness. Since then it's popularity has soared, and it has become the drink of choice - especially in hot weather - for all sectors of society.

But because of the low status of many mass-market brands, cider has never attracted the attention of researchers and writers to the extent that beer, win and spirits have. And nobody, until now, has attempted to unravel the many myths, legends and misconceptions that surround it's origins and development to present a factual narrative history.

In cider, as legend has it, the oldest alcoholic drink of them all, or is it in fact a comparatively recent introduction ? Did it come to Britain with the Celts, the Romans, or the Normans ? Were medieval babies really baptised in it ?

Golden Fire: The Story Of Cider takes a long, cool, refreshing look at the evolution of one of Britain's favourite beverages and answers all those questions."

World's Best Cider by Pete Brown and Bill Bradshaw

Title: World's Best Cider: Taste, Tradition and Terroir, from Somerset to Seattle
Author:      Pete Brown and Bill Bradshaw
Year: 2013
Format:        Hardback
Page Count: 256
Price new:     £7.99 (Amazon)*
Price used:    £4.90 (Amazon)*
*Accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
A coffee table book with many beautiful pictures and covering numerous varieties of cider from all over the world.

On the back of the book it says:
"Cider is becoming the next big thing, a drink to rival both beer and Champagne (too right ! tb) and one that is found both down muddy farm  tracks and on crisp, Michelin-starred menus.
Pete Brown and Bill Bradshaw, two of the planets greatest cider experts, take us on a voyage of cider discovery, introducing us to the people and places that define their art and craft of cider-making and cider-drinking.
A 'Cider Basics' section includes details on how cider is made, how to taste it and apple types. Profiles of key cider producers reveal the art of cider making in various terroirs.
Tasting notes from over 240 of the world's finest ciders, from Somerset to Seattle,  Cantabria to Canada.
This  is the complete story of cider, from fruit to fermenting, apple to aperitif."

"The Authors
Pete Brown is Britain's most successful beer writer and blogger (www.petebrown.blogspot.com) and in 2009 and 2012 he was named Beer Writer of the Year. He writes regular columns in brewing and trade magazines in the UK and the US and has written four books: Man  Walks into a Pub; Three Sheets to the Wind; Hops and Glory; and Shakespeare's Local.
Bill Bradshaw is a freelance photographer from Somerset who has been passionately  documenting cider from around the world since 2004 and his award-winning work has been published internationally. He frequents all corners of the cider world, whether shooting personal work, consulting for business or judging cider competitions. His images and travels are documented on his blog www.iamcider.blogspot.com"

Cider Apples The New Pomona by Liz Copas

Title:             Cider Apples The New Pomona
Author:         Liz Copas
Year:            2013
Format:         Hardback
Page Count: 158
Price new:     £16.50 self published, details from www.lizcopas.com

Description: TLDR
Photo's, line drawings and notes on 160 varieties of cider apple.

On the back of the book it says:
"Now including Cider Apples from all the major cider growing counties; Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Hereford and Worcester and including thennew 21st Century Cider Apples, the Girls.
Liz copas, Cider Pomologist at Long Ashton Research Station and Orcharding Advisor for the National Association of Cider Makers for many years, has put together this extended edition of the Pomona. 
So much has happened in the cider world since 1999 when the first edition was published. This book comes at a time when cider drinking and cidermaking has never been so popular and the conservation  of traditional values and the coonservation of regional distinctiveness is imperative. The continued success of our craft ciders depends so much on the raw materials, cider apples.
This book describes the merits of a wide range of apples that the average hunter-gatherer cidermaker might be able to find and gives plenty of help in tracking them down and identifying them.
Over 160 varieties are described together with cider making qualities, all with full colour photos, line drawings and keys to aid identification."

Dorset Cider by Alan Stone

Title: Dorset Cider With An Excursion to The New Forest
Author: Alan Stone
Year: 2014
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 158
Price new: £10.15 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description:
Mainly the back stories of Dorset and New Forest cider producers. I will update these comments when I have read the book properly.

On the back of the book it says:
"The heritage of cider in the county of Dorset has been a largely neglected area - some had even suggested it did not exist.
Alan Stone decided to investigate and found a fascinating rich rural heritage of orchards, apples, cider-makers and cider characters together with a whole host of new producers who are not only keeping the traditions alive but are taking them into new ground.
This is essential reading for anyone who is interested in Dorset and anyone who is interested in cider. As well as covering 1,000 years of cider heritage, over 20 current producers, a number of pubs and other venues and events are detailed to help the reader explore cider in the county today."

Buying From Amazon

Most of the book prices I will quote are from Amazon, I don't gain anything out of this and I'm not a big fan of Amazon it's just because I have an account with them and buy most of my books from them. They have most of the books I will be blogging about, (including many hard to find books) and they are often the cheapest place to get them.

Some of these books are available used for one penny (£0.01) plus postage (usually £2.80 per item) I believe when this happens the seller makes their money on the difference between £2.80 and the actual amount they spend on postage. Some of the books are from charity shops or other non-profit making organisations.

Sometimes it's cheaper to buy new books than to buy used ones but also quite often at the bottom of the list of available copies you will see book dealers offering a copy at an unrealistically high price.

If you buy used books in 'good' or 'very good' condition you may often struggle to find any fault in the condition of the book

Cider Enthusiasts Manual by Bill Bradshaw

Title:               Cider Enthusiasts Manual

Author: Bill Bradshaw

Year: 2014

Format:         Hardback

Page Count: 182

Price new:      £11.02 (Amazon)*

*accurate at the time of posting

Description:

A Haynes Manual on cider, containing lots of pretty pictures and sections on 'Apples and Orcharding', 'Cidermaking', related drinks, cooking etc. And plenty of other 'Useful Stuff'.

On the back of the book it says:

"In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in cider around the world, with businesses investing millions to meet the growing demand. At the same time many people now want to try to make their own cider, and the Cider Manual is here to help. After providing a general background to the world of cider, it will take the reader step-by-step through the entire process from the philosophy of approach and growing apple trees through to cider making for pleasure and profit.

• Origins of cider and history of apples.
• Global cider types and cider derivatives.
• The cider-making process.
• A traditional approach vs modern approach.
• The straw pressing method.
• Basic cider science.
• Advanced techniques.
• Rules and regulations for selling to the public.
• Cider as an ingredient in cooking.
• The cider maker's year.

Bill Bradshaw is a freelance photographer and writer. He started photographing cider in 2004 as part of a documentary project and travels internationally exploring cider cultures. He judges at cider competitions, including the oldest and largest in the world - The Royal Bath  & West Show. He lives in Somerset, in the heart of cider-making country and blogs at IAMCIDER.blogspot.com"

What's It All About ?

I have a cider book buying habit. In this blog I aim to provide facts on books about cider that I own or have read, whilst trying to avoid giving an opinion.

I believe books about cider can be broadly divided into 4 categories, books on cider making, orcharding, food and drink recipes and everything else which I'd call cider appreciation. It's that last category which interests me.

Currently I have about 40 books on cider (not all read yet) and intend to post details on one a week.

Do you want more information on a book ? Is there a book not covered here that you'd like some information on ? (I may already have it) that's what the comments section is for, you can post anonymous comments too. 

Any encouragement will be most gratefully accepted.

Thank

tb