
The Apple: A Delicious History
- Author Sally Coulthard
- Narrator Deborah Balm
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
- Run Time 6 hours and 57 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Nature and the natural world: general interest.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
- £3.99
Listen to a sample
What to expect
Sin, cider and apple crumble… the 10,000-year story of the world’s most tempting fruit.
The Apple: A Delicious History takes the reader on an extraordinary journey, from the apple’s prehistoric beginnings in the Tian Shan mountains of Kazakhstan to the explosion of commercial apple-growing in twenty-first-century China. Zigzagging across the centuries and straddling the globe, Sally Coulthard explores how the apple travelled along the Silk Road from Central Asia to Europe, appearing as an erotically charged symbol in Greek myth and poetry and even featuring in the shopping list of a senior Roman officer stationed on Hadrian’s Wall. She samples the cider that flowed from the emperor. Charlemagne’s orchards in the early Middle Ages, and relishes the crispness of the yellow sweeting, the first new apple variety to be cultivated in seventeenth-century America. And she discovers why, despite the existence of more than 7500 varieties of apple – from the ubiquitous Granny Smith to the purple-skinned Black Diamond of Tibet – only a handful of cultivars are available in modern supermarkets.
Amplified by mouth-wateringly appley recipes and the stories behind them, The Apple: A Delicious History embraces not only culinary, horticultural, social and commercial history but also age-old traditions in mythology, folklore and religion. It is the perfect gift book for gardeners and nature lovers – and for anyone who enjoys a drop of cider or a slice of apple pie.
Critics Review
From the mouth-puckering Bramley to the scrumptiously tart Cox – Sally takes us through a crisp, delicious history.
An enlightening and delicious journey from ancient myth to modern agribusiness through the rich history of the humble apple.
Praise for Fowl Play:
A marvellously complete and utter history of chickens. – Country Life
A playful, entertaining and satisfyingly informative study of this humble bird and the integral and varied roles it played thoughout human history accross the world. – Archaeology Worldwide Magazine
Charming and illuminating. – Mail on Sunday
A genial and wonderfully diverting read… A timely book indeed.
Praise for A Short History of the World According to Sheep:
A snappy, stimulating book, and certainly not just for shepherds. – Mail on Sunday
Sally Coulthard’s story of how sheep shaped the human story is full of rich pickings… Full of fascinating social history. – Independent
Global in scope, with fascinating vignettes from the ancient world to the present day, this is anything but woolly.
The real voice of the proper countryside.
Few ingredients have the versatility, history and sheer tastiness of this humble fruit.
More from the same
About xigxag
Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required. Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech. Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service and a leader in audiobook innovation.
Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems. Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Experience the future of audiobooks today.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.