Cider Country: How an Ancient Craft Became a Way of Life

by James Crowden, Ric Jerome (Narrator)

‘James Crowden is Britain’s best cider writer … Cider Country is the book we’ve all been waiting for.’ Oz Clarke

Join James Crowden as he embarks on a journey to distil the ancient origins of cider, uncovering a rich culture and philosophy that has united farmer, maker and drinker for millennia.
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 ANDRE SIMON FOOD AND DRINK AWARD

Cidermaking has been at the heart of country life for hundreds of years. But the fascinating story of how this drink came into existence and why it became so deeply rooted in the nation’s psyche has never been told. In order to answer these questions, James Crowden traces an elusive history stretching back to the ancient, myth-infused civilisations of the Mediterranean and the wild apple forests of Kazakhstan.

Meeting cider experts, farmers and historians, he unearths the surprising story of an apple that travelled from east to west and proved irresistible to everyone who tasted it. Upon its arrival in Britain, monks, pirates and politicians formed a pioneering and evangelical fan base, all seeking the company of a drink that might guide them through uncertain times.

But the nation’s love-affair with cider didn’t fully blossom until after the reformation, when the thirst for knowledge about the drink was at its peak. This infatuation with experimentation would lead to remarkable innovations and the creation of a ‘sparkling cider’, a technique that pre-dated Dom Pérignon's champagne by forty years.

Turning to the present day, Crowden meets the next generation of cider makers and unearths a unique philosophy that has been shared through the ages. In the face of real challenges, these enterprising cider makers are still finding new ways to produce this golden drink that is enjoyed by so many.

Spanning centuries and continents, Cider Country tells the story of our country through the culture, craft and consumption of our most iconic rural drink.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food and Drink

Audible Audio

Published August 19, 2021

Reviews

[Sarah Jobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably worth reading if you’re into cider.
But …..
Like the bloke at the pub you avoid getting stuck chatting to because they wang on and on about stuff, this book was about 3 times longer than it needed to be, full of bluster, bad jokes and WAY too much detail.
If you can let that go, it had a real charm, he clearly knows his stuff and has a genuine passion to pass it on. And a bit like those lost orchards it’s all to easy to not see the value till it’s gone.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unusual book, to say the least! Lots of interesting facts and stories about the history, and development, of cider. The author has clearly done his research and wants to communicate his knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, cider. However, the style adopted and the way this book has been written is somewhat bizarre. At times, it reads like he's giving a talk on the subject, throwing in many one-liner jokes. There is a lack of coherence to some sections, jumping from one theme to another, accompanied by off-the-cuff statements that bare little or no relevance to the subject matter whatsoever. What happened to the editor? If the aim was to publish a comprehensive history of cider making and the place of cider in our culture, one would have thought the author should have been advised to rewrite much of the content in a more serious style, checking for potentially contradictory statements. As an amateur cider-maker, I found it an interesting read, but I was put off by the style of the author, and would hesitate to recommend it to other readers.

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I didn’t quite like the way the book was organized. It felt more like a collection of anecdotes, and 400 pages of anecdotes is a lot. I wish the narrative was more fleshed out if that makes sense.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book! By the end you'll be daydreaming about quitting your job to go work on a cider farm and live among the apple trees. Or at the very least, wanting to sample a huge variety of cider, perry, and apple brandy!

When I first started reading this book I was a little unsure, but I soon changed my tune. Rather than laying out the history and facts in a straightforward manner, Crowden tells the fascinating tale of cider in a unique lyrical style (it turns out the author is also a poet). Originally I felt I'd have preferred the straightforward style, but I quickly realised that (to use a cider analogy) this would have resulted in a rather flat, dull drink.

Instead, Crowden really captures the magic of cider, in all its effervescent, entrancing glory. That's not to say that the book is missing any of the history or facts -- it's chock full of them: from the science of tannins to the origin of apples in Kazakhstan. My favourite was the convincing argument that people were bottling sparkling cider in England a good few decades before Dom Pérignon was making champagne in France!

All in all, thoroughly recommended. See you in cider country!

[Christian Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love cider and history. But this really felt like more of a biography of cider production rather than how cider became a way of life, especially as the chapters are arranged in rough periods. I loved the chapter on maritime cider and never knew about it's use on long voyages, so there are some fascinating tidbits. Beautiful publication though overall unfortunately let down by the writing, which sounds like a few glasses of scrumpy has helped it along (which explains some of the fairly frequent grammatical errors and spelling mistakes). Probably could have benefitted from a glossary for some of the cider.

[Jurgita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to buy an orchard and make cider.

[Nele · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - interesting book, but urgently needs proper editing

Cider Country is a really nice read for people who have a good deal of interest in English cider and I mostly enjoyed reading it. The level of detail is amazing and the connection to the anecdotes of the author and the people he interviewed really bring cider history and culture to life. I especially liked the very first parts of the book about the origin of apples, the chapter on maritime cider, and the last chaper on cider in the 21st century.
However, this book desperately lacks editing. Not only is it riddled with mistakes (several dozen, from punctuation to spelling to grammar) but the style of writing is not suitable for something that presents so many facts. There are no timelines, no graphs and only maybe two or three chapters have a few summarising sentences at the end. The same points sometimes get repeated over and over again in one and the same section, but not in a way that shows this is done to emphasise the points, but rather because the section has not been edited properly. Then, there are the bits where the author goes off on tangents or presents the bare skeleton of a thought in a half sentence, often with a question mark at the end. In very few cases does this work, but most of the time it just alienates me as a reader because I'm not clear on what the author is trying to say or achieve by leaving his unformed thoughts in the book.
All in all I'm still happy I got this book and feel I got a great deal out of it. It could be much improved with better editing, but I would still recommend it to other readers with a keen interest in cider (or those with a casual interest but who have enough stamina to power through some passages they are not interested in as much).

[Craig Snider · Rating 1 out of 5]

Long rambling lists of things the author knows that are related to cider. Not a readable book, more akin to sitting next to a drunk cider enthusiast at a village pub and not being able to get away from them.

The first 2 to 3 chapters were particularly bad - just random lists of instances with mention of "cider" or "apples" in ancient Rome, Greece, or the Bible. Makes for awful and not even useful reading. I skipped over about 100 pages in the hopes of finding more interesting chapters.

This book has little structure and very few interesting facts. Its a shame because the author is clearly knowledgeable, he just can't put it down in a useful or readable way. Disapointing.

[George Foord · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked up the book cheaply. The book is full of bluster and goes from one topic to another very quickly had to skip large portions.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable overview of the full history of cider in Britain and it's ancient origins. Crowden's voice is humourous and engaging. Like a literary Keith Floyd.

[Jonathan Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the author's book the frozen river but discovered I am not that interested in Cider. Improved towards the end but long dull historical sections. One definitely for the Cider afectionado.

[Chris Saltmarsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Regrettably boring

[Stephen Zimmermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully presented full history.