Author: Virginia Shirt
By Elliot Right Way Books

Excellent book - highly recommended, 2007-11-01
If you are thinking about keeping chickens everything that you need to know is in this book. Absolutely excellent!!

Author: Andy Case
By Broad Leys Publishing Limited

A Worthwhile buy, 2007-11-19
If you're new to pig keeping this is a good book to start with, very good sound advice offered which will help you through those first nerve wracking weeks of pig keeping. Mine is somewhat tattered and coffee stained and well thumbed. Highly recommended

Author: Alison Benjamin, Brian McCallum
By David & Charles Publishers

Excellent book for someone considering beekeeping, 2008-06-11
I bought this book knowing virtually nothing about bees (they exist, they live in hives and they make honey was about the sum total of my knowledge).
I have been considering keeping bees for a while and thought that a little reading would help guide me to a decision.

From memory, the book covers: types of bees (not just honey bees), types of hives, the gear required by the beekeeper, where bee hives can be situated, how bees can be purchased, the maintenance of the colony & hive, pests and how to mitigate their impact, the social structure of the bee colony, the way honey is produced by the bees, the 'swarming' of bees, how to harvest honey from the hive and how to store the harvested honey. There's definitely more - my memory just isn't good enough.

The book material is pitched at the level of the layman/novice. In particular areas the book is usefully pratical and in-depth e.g. There are guides to setting up the hive and putting in the colony, checking the colony's health after setting up your apiary, harvesting the honey, controlling swarming and spring-cleaning the hive. There are also little practical tips throughout that will obviously help you avoid common mistakes e.g. Approach your hive from the side, approaching the front entrance will only wind-up your bees!

To sum up. I thought the book was excellent and was written at exactly the right level for someone in my position. It increased my knowledge greatly (admittedly i started with none), it informed me that i have a more-than-reasonable environment for a hive, it convinced me that i'd be capable of performing the duties required to keep the bees happy and healthy, it told me how to go about performing the duties required, it told me what equipment i'd need to keep bees and finally it was a thoroughly pleasant read into the bargain.

Author: Christopher Starr
By The Crowood Press Ltd

A wood that pays is a wood that stays, 2007-08-30
An excellent book for students and landowners, it starts with a brief history of woodland in Britain, followed by a chapter on tree biology and sylvicultural systems which is comprehensive and written in refreshingly plain english. The native and commonly used non-native trees are then detailed followed by how to draw up a management plan, essential if you want grant aid. Then the nitty-gritty of planting, protecting, measurement and marketing.

This is a very practical book on managing woodlands as a whole, very sensitive to their wildlife and landscape value but stressing that woodlands that pay are more likely to last.

Author: D.G. Hessayon
By Expert

Proper User Guide for a Veg Plot, 2008-05-31
Too many gardening authors take time out to wax lyrical about seasons and the joys of blackbirds and dew on your runner canes. Their books end up as a decent afternoon's read, but difficult to use when you're trying to work out what's going wrong with your kohlrabi.

This book is different. Veg are listed alphabetically with clear sections on selecting varieties, planting, looking after, harvesting and cooking, with a troubleshooting guide covering disease, pests, storage and the like.

No nonsense, everything you need and easy to find.

Author: Barbara Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp, Camille Kingslover
By Faber and Faber

FAB BUT BUY THE HARDBACK !, 2008-04-15
Excellent, informative book - very good at explaining scientific backgounds to issues. (Kingsolver and husband are both scientists.) Not what I was expecting. I probably expected jolly year-in-the-life-of, and that is there, but also so much more. As an example, regarding knowing what veg are in season & when - other books provide plenty of lists, but this explains in a way that makes you understand. Very well written, laugh aloud funny in parts, I just wish I'd bought the hardback because I know I will want to keep it to refer to again, or lend to friends, but also because I found the paperback needed constant pressure to keep it open, especially when reading the inside of the left- hand page. Annoying! For a few extra pounds get the handback - it's worth it.

Author: Katie Thear
By Broad Leys Publishing Limited

A great book & British too!, 2007-08-24
There are a lot of great books out there for beginners, but most of them are American, so the resources pages are not helpful to those of us starting out in the UK.

This book is published by Broad Leys, who are a small independent British publishers specialising in books for smallholders, homesteaders, poultry keepers and organic gardeners.

Exactly what I was looking for!

Author: Anne Swithinbank, John Swithinbank
By Frances Lincoln Publishers

Fantastic easy to understand read, 2008-06-09
I bought this book as I'm a novice to greenhouse gardening. This book is a must for others like me. It is written in an easy to understand manner and is structured so that you can pick out the sections you want or need without having to wade through endless pages of the stuff you don't want - not that there are any pages in the book that are surplus to requirements! The illustrations and photographs are very helpful too. The author doesn't use jargon or techno speak beyond the understanding of beginners and manages to instill the belief that greenhouse gardening is quite achievable for anyone who wants to have a go. Full of tips on what you need and don't need to buy also. An excellent book overall.

Author: Katie Thear
By The Crowood Press Ltd

The Smallholder's Manual, 2006-03-16
This is a much more practical and detailed book than anything else currently available on the subject. It's up to date and based on real experience which is more than one can say for some of the trendy television-linked books. If you're a smallholder, intending or existing, this is the book you need.

Author: Alan Campion
By Northern Bee Books

The most helpful book for beginners, 2005-09-08
As a new beekeeper, one becomes overwhelmed by conflicting information from all the other beekeepers with whom one comes in contact. This book is sensible, realistic, and humorous, and doesn't assume that everyone wants at first to know all the amazing science stuff! If you only buy one beekeeping book,(which you won't) make this the one! It will tell you all you need to know to start. Don't forget the bees have been doing it longer than you!