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Scrumpy Books

Some Recommended Reading About Scrumpy

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STOP ZIDER PRESS! NEW CIDER GUIDE OUT NOW!  October 2005: CAMRA's long awaited new Good Cider Guide is now available at a big 30% discount from Amazon, regular price £10.99, Amazon offer price only £7.69 - You can order it NOW by clicking through from here! If you spend £15 in total you can also get FREE delivery! That's a better deal than even CAMRA members get!  Please help the Scrumpy User Guide by clicking through from this site to Amazon and ordering the book from them. The Scrumpy User Guide site gets a small percentage of the price, so by buying the book this way you will be not only getting this useful guide to cider in Britain at a fantastic price, but also helping us to keep this website going. Thanks for your support! To buy the book, click on the picture, the Amazon logo or here Please help Scrumpy & Western by clicking through to Amazon and buying this great book!

This section lists some scrumpy-related books I can recommend (in most cases!). Many of these books are available and can be bought via this site through the on-line book-seller Amazon. To purchase any book, just click on the links to Amazon below and you can look at the details before you decide to buy. By buying books from Amazon through the Scrumpy User Guide, you will be helping us to keep the site going - see below for more information. Thanks for your help!

For convenience, the books have been categorised as follows:

• Guides to cider producers, pubs and other outlets in the UK
• Cidermaking - books about the technical process, and "make-your-own" guides
• General - books covering several aspects of cider and/or cidermaking
• Regional - books concentrating on cider in one specific region
• Orchards & Fruit - fruit growing, varieties, orchard management, etc.
• Individual Cidermakers - books about specific cidermakers
• Scrumpy Fiction - fiction books with a cider theme or background
• Scrumpy Audio Books - audio books (cassette tapes) with a cider theme or background
• Scrumpy Videos & DVDs - videos and DVDs with a cider theme or background

These categories are just for convenience and there may be overlap between them - for example, the General books cover a variety of subjects including cidermaking, history, folklore, cooking with cider, etc. We recommend you look at them all!

If you know of any other relevant books not listed here, whether currently available or not, I'd like to hear about them - please email me!

March 2003 - Important notice to all our visitors: Please note that we have registered the Scrumpy User Guide and its parent Scrumpy & Western site as Amazon Associate sites, to enable visitors to help this site by "clicking through" to the Amazon on-line book store to buy some of the the books recommended here. For more details, and the background to this decision, please see our new Scrumpy & Western Sales page.
To buy the items below (where available) please click on the picture of the book, the Amazon logo, or the text link provided - these are special links to Amazon, and if you choose to buy from Amazon having clicked through from the Scrumpy User Guide, we will be credited with a small percentage of the purchase price. All money received from these sales will go towards the costs of running the site - see the Scrumpy & Western Sales page for more details. Thanks for helping to support the Scrumpy User Guide!

Guides to Cider Producers and Pubs

Guides to cider and perry makers in the UK, and pubs and other outlets for real cider and perry

Buy it NOW from Amazon!

CAMRA's Good Cider Guide edited by Dave Matthews, published by CAMRA at only £9.99 Launched on 28 October 2000, this is a comprehensive guide to over 130 cider producers in the UK. It promotes both real cider and filtered cider, but the filtered cider must be made from 100% juice, must not be pasteurised or artificially carbonated, and must not be made from juice concentrate. The guide lists over 500 surveyed and recommended cider outlets (shops, pubs, restaurants, etc.) The Guide also features over 20 articles on all aspects of cider and perry, home and abroad (many by UK cidermakers). Illustrated by lots of photos throughout. Buy it NOW from Amazon! Review by Tom Putt of the Scrumpy User Guide: "Dave has done a tremendous job with the guide - it's bigger and better than ever before. He's addressed all the problems with the last guide - producers and outlets are listed separately by county with maps and full directions - as well as including some interesting and knowledgeable articles about cider and perry history, cider and perry making, cider abroad (USA, France, Spain, etc.), many written by expert cider makers and CAMRA members - and much more. The Guide has even been brought up to date by the inclusion of some cider website details (naturally, the Scrumpy User Guide gets a mention!). Truly an indispensible guide for the serious Scrumpy User!" [Lovely job, Dave! Wassail! - Zider Ed]

Previous cider guides (superseded by the latest guide above)

• The Guide To Real Cider by Ted Bruning, 1996, CAMRA Books £7.99
  superseded by CAMRA's Good Cider Guide (above). Although a useful guide, it was criticised by some for lacking maps, directions or lists of cidermakers by county. The new guide (above) addressed these problems.
  
  
• The Good Cider Guide by David Kitton, 2nd edition, 1990, Alma Books, deleted
  superseded by the Guide to Real Cider (above), but worth buying if you see a copy; contains maps, directions, etc., and well worth reading, if only for the author's colourful descriptions of the cidermakers!
  
  
• The Good Cider Guide by David Kitton, 1st edition, October 1987, Alma Books, deleted
  superseded by the second edition above.
  
  
• The Traditional Cider Directory by David Kitton, 1984, Virgin Books, deleted
  superseded by the first edition of the Good Cider Guide above.

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Books About The Cidermaking Process

Books about the process of cider and perry making, either technically or practically. See also the section below - "General Books About Cider"

Cidermaking by Michael B. Quinion, £2.95 part of the Shire Books series - useful little guide to the cidermaking process; illustrated with many black & white photos Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Real Cidermaking On A Small Scale by Michael Pooley & John Lomax, £5.95 useful and practical guide to making your own cider; contains plans for a cider press, techniques, equipment, recipes, etc. Illustrated. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Cider & Juice Apples edited by R. R. Williams, deleted Excellent book published by the University of Bristol, covering all aspects of orcharding and cidermaking. Contributors include acknowledged experts such as Liz Copas and Andrew Lea.

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General Books About Cider

Books covering many aspects of cider - including any of: history, cidermaking, cooking, cultivation, folklore, etc.

Farmhouse Cider & Scrumpy by Bob Bunker, £2.99 small book illustrated with many colour photos, concentrating on the cidermaking process, but includes a bit about history, apple cultivation, cider drinks, etc. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Making Cider by Jo Deal (price not given on Amazon - about £5.00) Tips on making your own cider, including equipment needed and recipes - but covering much else besides: history, cooking with cider and apples, and lists of selected cidermakers and cider apple varieties. It even contains a verse of Adge Cutler's cider-drinking anthem Drink Up Thy Zider, although not ascribed to him, being simply described as an "old country song"! Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Cider by Annie Proulx & Lew Nichols, £10.99 (subject to change) Making, Using & Enjoying Sweet & Hard Cider This is an American book, but it has much of interest for readers in the UK. A very useful book, with sections on making cider, apples & orchards, making your own equipment, and covers cooking with cider, cider vinegar, etc. Highly recommended! Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Cider - The Forgotten Miracle by James Crowden, £12.95 Somerset author who has been involved with Burrow Hill Cider. The book concentrates on the history, traditions and superstitions surrounding West Country farmhouse cidermaking, and is full of fascinating anecdotes. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Cider, Hard & Sweet by Ben Watson, £14.10 (subject to change) History, Traditions & Making Your Own Another American book, with naturally a US perspective, but nevertheless contains much of interest to UK readers, especially those studying the differences and similarities between cider and cidermaking in the two countries. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Pomona Britannica: The Complete Plates by Uta Pellgru-Gagel, £12.00 Taschen book (200 pages) published in 2003, based on reproductions of prints from a first edition of George Brookshaw's 1812 book. The original illustrations are supplemented by modern notes on cultivation, etc. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Success with Apples and Pears to Eat and Drink by Alan Rowe, £12.95 A Practical Gardeners' Guide to Varieties, Husbandry, Harvesting, Storing & Making Juices, Cyder and Perry Covers the cultivation and use of fruit including apples, pears, sorbus, hawthorn, quince, etc. to make cider and related drinks, with an East Anglian emphasis. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Making The Best Apple Cider by E. A. Proulx, £2.50 (subject to change) Small booklet giving an overview of various aspects of cidermaking. Not as good as the author's larger book on Cider, but then it's a lot cheaper! Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Cider's Story - Rough & Smooth by Mark Foot, 1999, 144pp, available from the author at £9.99 + £1 p&p* For a copy send cheque for £10.99* to: Mark Foot, 8 Kingston Drive, Nailsea, North Somerset, BS48 4RB. If you like the Scrumpy & Western website then I guarantee you'll love this book! A wide-ranging and affectionate look at the history of cider, introducing the reader to a host of great rural characters, including Adge Cutler & The Wurzels and some of today's most dedicated traditional cidermakers. The book is packed with fascinating photos and has an introduction from Acker Bilk. Excellent - zider I up, librarian! *Above price applies to UK only - for non-UK orders please write to above address for shipping details.

Good Cider by David Mabey, 1984, 143pp, Whittet Books, deleted covers several aspects of cider, including history, process, customs, selected cidermakers, cooking with cider, etc. Illustrated.

The History & Virtues of Cyder by R. K. French, 1982, 200pp, Robert Hale, deleted Interesting book covering many aspects of cider (or cyder, as the author spells it), including social and economic history, the cidermaking process, orcharding, cookery, folklore and more.

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Regional Books About Cider

Books concentrating on cider in a specific region - so far we've only got Somerset!

Buy it NOW from Amazon!

A Somerset Pomona - The Cider Apples of Somerset by Liz Copas, 2001, 80pp, Dovecote Press £9.95 No mere coffee-table book, this - the author is the Orcharding Advisor to the National Association of Cidermakers and therefore knows her subject inside out! This is the definitive reference on Somerset cider apples - it contains details of all apples used in the county, with drawings and colour photographs of all 80 varieties in use today. Invaluable for identification, and clearly not just of use in Somerset. But this is not just a dull old reference book - it also has introductory sections on the history of Somerset cider and cidermaking and other aspects of the county's deservedly most famous export. Contains some fascinating and beautiful black & white and full colour photos. Highly recommended. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Somerset Cider - The Complete Story by Philippa Legg & Hilary Binding, 1986, ˜80pp, Somerset Books £6.95 Lavishly illustrated with many interesting photos, this book covers all aspects of cider and cidermaking in Somerset, including apple varieties, orchards, history, customs, etc. Particularly interesting are a section on old cidermaking equipment (mills, presses, etc.) and a detailed appendix of apple varieties used in the county. Much of the content will be of interest to non-Somerset scrumpophiles too! Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Les Cidres & leurs Eaux-de-Vie by Francois de Beaulieu, 2000, 64pp, Editions Ouest-France The history of French cider and eaux-de-vie, right up to the present. Beautifully illustrated with many colour photos. Includes useful information about cider museums, routes du cidre, etc. Note: text written in French. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

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Books About Apples, Pears, Orchards, Cultivation,etc.

Books about growing fruit, apple & pear varieties, cultivation, orchards, tree management, etc.

The Apple Grower by Michael Phillips, £20.00 (subject to change) A Guide For The Organic Orchardist American author is an experienced orchardist, and in this books he passes on tips on orcharding generally, and in particular the use of organic methods of pest control and cultivation. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

The New Book Of Apples by Joan Morgan & Alison Richards, Amazon £24.50 (RRP £35.00) Beautifully illustrated throughout by Elizabeth Dowle, this book covers the history of apples in the UK and indeed, the world. Also has a detailed directory of 2,000 varieties, with history and tasting notes, etc. Highly recommended! Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Growing Fruit (RHS Guide) by Harry Baker, £8.99 Part of the Royal Horticultural Society's excellent series of small guides, this book covers the growing of all kinds of fruit, including of course, apples! But covers a lot more besides. Includes many helpful illustrations. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Pruning (RHS Guide) by Christopher Brickell, £8.99 Another excellent RHS guide, considered by many to be the definitive guide to pruning. As well as apple and other fruit trees, it covers roses, shrubs and much more. Highly recommended! Buy it NOW from Amazon!

All About Apples by Allen Gilbert, £15.99 Covers many aspects of apple growing, including propagation, pest control, pruning, training, growing multiple varieties on one tree, and organic cultivation. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto, £8.50 (subject to change) A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Garden Aimed at the domestic grower, this book gives a good overview of many aspects of fruit tree management - more of an introduction than one for the experienced fruit grower. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Growing Tree Fruit by Richard Bird, £6.99 A Directory of Varieties and How to Cultivate Them Successfully Popular book which covers a wide range of fruits including apples. Good book for the beginner to fruit growing. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

The Common Ground Book Of Orchards from Common Ground, £18.95 Community, Conservation and Culture From the laudable Common Ground organisation, this books looks at orchards from the community angle, as havens for wildlife and local people alike. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Pears by Jim Arbury & Sally Pinhey, £19.99 Contains lists of pear varieties with notes on cultivation and identification, based on the Pear Collections at Wisley and Brogdale. Beautifully detailed colour illustrations of several varieties by Sally Pinhey. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Apples In Scotland by John Butterworth, £6.50 A Practical Guide To Choosing & Growing Our Favourite Fruit Advice on which apple varieties grow best in different parts of Scotland, with photos of Scottish apple varieties to aid identification. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Perry Pears edited by L. C. Luckwill & A. Pollard, 1963, 216pp, University of Bristol Published for the legendary Long Ashton National Fruit & Cider Institute, this is quite simply the definitive reference work on perry pears! As well as some history, the book includes (amongst a wealth of useful information) a practical guide to the identifiaction of perry pears, illustrated with copious diagrams and photos; the propagation of perry pears; and perry making. Aimed at the perry maker or the serious scrumpologist rather than the casual reader.

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Books About Individual Cidermakers

Books about individual cidermakers - only one so far!

Whiteway's Cyder A Company History by E. V. M. Whiteway, 1990, 176pp, David & Charles £14.95 A history of the successful Whiteway's of Whimple company from its early days in the 19th century, through two world wars, the merger with Showering's and eventual takeover and closure of the Whimple works in the late 20th century. Perhaps a bit detailed for the casual reader, containing many facts and figures and appendices about the company's output, share prices, etc., but contains many fascinating reproductions of old advertising posters, photos, etc. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

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Scrumpy Fiction

Fiction with a cider theme or background

Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee, £3.99 (paperback) Probably the best-known book in the world with the word "Cider" in the title! Evocative autobiographical novel set in Gloucestershire's cider country where the author grew up between the wars. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Of Apples & Serpents: A Herefordshire Cider Saga by Mike Knight, £19.00 The story of a boy who grew up in a Herefordshire village in the 1940s and 50s, set against a background of cider-making in rural Herefordshire, at a time when country life was very different from today's. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

The Cider House Rules by John Irving, £4.79 (paperback) John Irving's best-selling novel (later made into a film starring Michael Caine & Charlize Theron) about a young man and his life after he is taken on as an apple picker on a cider farm. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Rough Cider by Peter Lovesey, £6.60 (paperback) In 1944, GIs stationed in Somerset woo the village girls, to the local men's fury. Things come to a head at the dance to celebrate the cidermaking, leading to a sinister pint of scrumpy at the pub... Buy it NOW from Amazon!

Cider With Roadies by Stuart Maconie, £7.69 (paperback) That ultra-rarity, an intelligent and knowledgeable DJ, with his highly enjoyable account of his life as a pop music fan growing up in the 1970s. Not really about cider, but a good read! Buy it NOW from Amazon!

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Scrumpy Audio Books

Cassettes or CDs with a cider theme, background or connection - we've only found one so far!

Cider With Rosie (BBC Collection Audio Book) by Laurie Lee, £10.99 (audio cassette tape) BBC Collection audio cassette tape of Laurie Lee's famous novel with a scrumpy background. Cover shows a picture of the famous Woolpack Inn at Slad, the author's local. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

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Scrumpy Videos & DVDs

Videos with a cider theme, background or connection - we've only found these two so far!

Cider With Rosie (1998) by Laurie Lee, £11.69 (VHS PAL video) Beautiful 1998 film adaptation of Laurie Lee's famous novel with a scrumpy background. Starring Juliet Stevenson, David Troughton, Con O'Neill and Emily Mortimer. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

The Cider House Rules(1999) by John Irving, £6.97 (DVD Region 2 UK) Film adaptation of John Irving's book, set on a cider farm, and starring Michael Caine, Tobey Maguire, Kate Nelligan and Charlize Theron. Buy it NOW from Amazon!

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This page last updated 31st October 2005 (Revision 2.27 )