A Book of Honey

by Eva Crane

Upon her death in 2007, the New York Times acknowledged that Eva Crane wrote some of the most important books on bees and apiculture. A Book of Honey is one of her seminal works and must be on the shelves of anyone who is serious about understanding honey. Not only does it describe how and why bees make honey, but she also describes in detail the constituents and characteristics of honey. There is a chapter on the uses of honey in the kitchen as well as mead-making, medical remedies and cosmetics. Eva describes the history of honey starting from the evolution of plants and bees, then on to the harvesting of honey by humans over the past 10,000 years and its religious significance and beliefs. There is a huge databank of information to facilitate further detailed study, making this an essential read for both teachers and students. Please note that Eva’s comments at the end of her preface refer to the original cover which as now been replaced in this 2019 reprint.

193 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1983

Reviews

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book largely for research for a novel I may someday write, and thus skipped the many, many pages of technical details. The sections on the history of bee-keeping, and ways in which bees & honey were invested with much Christian symbology were quite fascinating, although very brief. I am pleased with the new ideas I found in it, and I am glad I picked it up, but as a technical manual it was hardly a fascinating read. I am sure others who actually wish to keep bees, or who care about the precise mineral composition of honeys, would find those sections more valuable.

[Peta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good reference book, with particularly helpful information in the appendix. The first few chapters are a little dull if you are just reading out of interest, however they could be very interesting to an enthusiast particular one who has a good understanding of science. There is however a lot of good information on honey throughout history as well as its many uses.

[Eduardo Hermenegildo · Rating 4 out of 5]

La carrera de está mujer fue increíble, se siente el cariño en cada hoja