The Apple Book [Hardcover]

I learned of this reissue via the cider workshop Google group and went straight to Amazon and ordered 2 copies immediately. My copy of the original 1988 'The English Apple' by Rosanne Sanders was getting grubby edges from constant use over 2 decades. We use it for apple identification at Apple Day events, but had become quite protective of it, I went looking for another copy and saw one on Ebay for £90. A very welcome reissue.

There are 22 new apple varieties, many American and the impression is that the title English Apple was changed to improve international sales. Fair enough, but one thing we English have to be 'proud' of is our great apple heritage, which we owe to enthusastic amateur gardeners and nurserymen small and large whose efforts should not be forgotten. This book gives them the credit they deserve, and should inspire more people to plant and use these apples, the best way to honour our horticultural ancestors and ensure the irreplacable genetics of the fruits they bequeathed to us is preserved for future generations.

The heart of the book is Rosie's watercolours of the stars of the book, the apples themselves, which she has studied at length and with great empathy. There is a nice video on YouTube of her working in orchard and studio. Superlatives fail to describe these paintings...what do I say, excellent, outstanding, glowing, sumptious, magisterial...suffice it to say that if you have any appreciation of the beauty of apples or water colours you won't find anything anywhere to match these. The other apple ID book we have in Apples, a Field Guide by Michael Clarke, which is a good book but the colour photographs of fruits in Clarke cannot compare with Sanders' watercolours, which give a far truer picture. William Morris is atributed with the saying 'Have nothing in your home that is neither known to be useful nor believed to be beautiful' The Apple Book is both useful and beautiful.

The Apple Book also includes detailed historical and cultural notes and technical ID features for each apple, and an essay by the painter as an introduction (not present in the 1988 edition) and a seriously useful 7 page section on apple growing by Sir Harry Baker. He is most likely the top world expert on apples and editor of the later editions of the sadly out of print RHS classic The Fruit Garden Displayed and a published apple expert in his own right. This advice section is comprehensive, with useful line drawings and deals with planting, pruning, different tree forms, rootstocks, pests and diseases with advice on their control, etc and is worth at least half the full price of the book on its own.

I have been growing apples for 25 years, planted and manage a 5 acre orchard with over 50 heritage apple varieties and a large fruit book collection going back to the 19th century and IMO there is no debate, this is the best book available for anyone planning a backyard orchard or who has inherited one and isn't sure how to manage it. It will also make an outstanding Christmas or birthday present for any gardener.

A very minor quibble is the changed layout of the apples and text on the pages, and paper is perhaps slightly too shiny compared with the 1988 edition, but this may be due to age and is trivial set against the book's merits. Maybe a deluxe limited edition on better paper will be forthcoming. Also the inclusion of a few West Country cider apples (perhaps Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Harry Masters Jersey and Kingston Black) and a short section on cider might have made the book even better, but there has to be a limit somewhere. Perhaps if this book becomes the bestseller it deserves to be the author might be persuaded to turn her admirable paintbrushes to an English Cider Apple Pomona. One can hope.

Thanks for this Rosie. If I had my way there would be a BBC documentary series about this book, or at least a special edition of Gardener's World.

This book was originally published under the title 'The English Apple'. This new edition is aimed at a wider readership, presumably. It is notable for its 144 superb paintings of apples, much the best I have seen. It also has clear notes to assist identification of apples, and notes on growing them. It is well worth the price just for the paintings.

A beautiful book with inspiring illustrations - not just for gardeners - but great if you want to learn more about apple trees and apple growing. Off to buy an orchard (I wish).