The Apple Book

The Apple Book serves as a comprehensive guide to over 2,000 apple varieties grown worldwide, with detailed photographs and information about each cultivar. Phillips documents both common commercial apples and rare heritage varieties, capturing their colors, textures, and distinct characteristics through macro photography. The text provides essential details on each apple's origin, growing requirements, and optimal uses in cooking or fresh eating. Growing instructions, disease resistance information, and harvest timing guidelines make this a practical resource for gardeners and orchardists. Historical context and cultural significance accompany the technical growing information, tracing how different apple varieties emerged and spread across regions. The book's encyclopedic scope and visual documentation make it a key reference for preserving apple diversity and traditional growing knowledge.

Readers value this reference book for documenting hundreds of apple varieties through detailed photographs and descriptions. Multiple reviews note its value for apple identification and selection. Readers highlight: - Clear, accurate photos showing full fruits and cross-sections - Historical background on each variety - Growing information and harvest times - Layout making it simple to compare varieties Common criticisms: - Limited information on modern commercial varieties - Some descriptions lack detail on taste profiles - Print quality in newer editions reduced photo clarity - High price point for a specialty book Ratings: Goodreads: 4.36/5 (14 ratings) Amazon UK: 4.6/5 (89 ratings) Amazon US: 4.3/5 (12 ratings) "This book helped me identify dozens of heritage apples on my property" - Amazon reviewer "The photos are invaluable for identification but taste descriptions could be more thorough" - Goodreads reviewer

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🍎 Roger Phillips photographed over 2,000 apple varieties for this comprehensive guide, traveling across Europe and America to document both common and rare specimens. 🍎 The book reveals that some heritage apple varieties can be traced back to Roman times, with detailed histories of their cultivation and naming. 🍎 Phillips' photographic technique for the book involved using natural daylight and photographing each apple variety from multiple angles to show true color and form. 🍎 Many of the apples featured in the book are now considered "lost varieties" and can only be found in specialized heritage orchards or private collections. 🍎 The publication of The Apple Book in 1988 helped spark renewed interest in heritage apple varieties and contributed to the modern movement to preserve rare apple cultivars.