Going through the posts about people's top five herb books, it made me wonder what people are reading at the moment, or what new herb books have come into their possession recently. I find it really exciting to learn about books which have grabbed other people's attention and which may help me.
It's really interesting so many people have mentioned Kathryn Hadfield's books as I'm waiting for two of hers to arrive shortly. There are also two Anglo Saxon food books waiting to be read - Ann Hagen's "Anglo Saxon Food and Drink" and Stephen Pollington's "The Mead Hall". I did read through Mary Savelli's "Tastes of Anglo-Saxon England", which is a nice little book and I look forward to trying out some of her recipes when I get some free time.
I've just finished Juliette de Bairacli Levy's "Common Herbs for Natural Health" and have started "The Herbalist's Way", which was recommended by people on the Herbwifery Forum. Although it's an American book it is one of those which instantly grabs you and makes you want to read more. I just wish we had a book written by a UK Herbalist with similar passion and inclusivity. My next book to read on the train will be Joyce Wardwell's "The Herbal Home Remedy Book". Joyce practices in Michigan and used to post on Henriette's herblist before she got too busy. Her posts were always very sensible and thoughtful and she is highly regarded by other American herbalists.
I'm also waiting for Matthew Wood's book, Vitalism: The History of Herbalism, Homeopathy, and Flower Essences. Paul Bergner's School runs on the principles of Vitalism, so I thought I'd better find out what it is! The other book I'm waiting for is Michael Tierra and Candis Candin's "The Spirit of Herbs: A Guide to the Herbal Tarot", I've had the herbal Tarot pack for several years now and it has enabled me to become familiar with Tarot itself whilst steering clear of the more esoteric packs which I've not been comfortable with. Each card gives information about the herb and the pictures are lovely.
Michael Tierra and his wife, Lesley are herbalists in California who follow Chinese herbalism. Lesley has written a well thought of book about using herbs for children. Talking about herbs for children, one of my next purchases with be Juliette de Bairacli Levy's "Nature's Children". I've read some extracts on the Ashtree publishing site and it was some of the most sensible advice I've seen for a long time. My children are all now adults, but I'll keep it as a reference for any potential grandchildren and for anyone else who is interested. (My piano pupils often get dosed with herbal salves or sent away with something to rub on at home!)
Hi Sarah,I have had the Michael Tierra tarot cards for some years now and absolutly love them.
I was told about them by one of my students who taught the tarot at night school. Despite looking out for them for a long time,I never saw them anywhere.Then one year on holiday in Devon,we were travelling around Dartmoor,when our then teenage daughter insisted that we went to Princetown,as she had seen an advert for a new age type shop there.Reluctantly we treaked there,walked in to the shop and right on the shelf,facing the doorway,in lonely splendour,were the cards. I`ve never seen them anywhere else since.
I had wanted to mention these cards before,but held back as it can be a subject upon which there are strong opinions.Hope I havn`t therefore upset anyone.
Linda
91.125.208.89
Re: What are you reading now?
February 5 2008, 12:29 AM
Am currently working through Patrick Bowe's "Gardens Of The Roman World". In a couple of weeks I'm going to immerse myself in the British Library for a day to discover if anyone in the last couple of decades has written a Graeco-Roman herbal - and if not, then I'm going to go for it. I've been amassing enough material & should really do something with it all.. If nothing else I'd like to find evidence to disprove the commonly believed (but frankly incredible) notion that before Roman colonisation the only vegetables & herbs the Britons had were turnips and ..er.. turnip tops. Really: check your herbals and see how often "introduced by the Romans" appears; I've been increasingly suspicious of this for some time now!
Sarah Head
194.221.40.3
Re: What are you reading now?
February 5 2008, 10:10 AM
Hi Jim
There are a couple of prehistoric cookery books which detail what pre-Romans were eating and there's the series Ray Mears did about ancient eating habits based on his exposure to nomadic tribes in other parts of the world.
When you say you're going to write a Greeco-Roman Herbal, has that not been done from the new discoveries about ancient medicine which have been highlighted recently in the press (i.e. the last couple of years)? Or do you mean you're going to look at Pre-Roman European use of herbs and vegetables?
Anthony Lyall-Dixon is supposed to be the country's leading expert on Roman herbs. He runs a herb nursery down in Bristol near Jekka and is a "forthright" character as you will gather from the tone of his website.
It sounds a really exciting project and something which is definitely needed. Do you have a publisher in mind or are you going to go with the UK equivalent of Lulu?
Very best wishes for your endeavours!
Sarah
Guest
194.221.40.3
More about herb books
February 5 2008, 1:57 PM
In case anyone is interested, The Works are selling the paperback version of Jekka's Complete Book of Herbs for £4.99 today.
Sarah
86.158.0.141
Re: More about herb books
February 5 2008, 9:48 PM
I`ve just come across a reference on the net to a book called--Leechcraft--Early English Charms,Plantlore and Healing. It sounds very interesting.I`ve just looked it up on Amazon,but it is £60,too rich for my blood without having first seen it.Wondered if anyone has read it?
linda
Sarah Head
82.36.179.127
Re: More about herb books
February 5 2008, 10:16 PM
Hi Linda
This is Stephen Pollington's book published by Anglo-Saxon books. They are bringing out a new paperback version which should be available by the end of this month at £25 - far more accessible. I bought the hardback version about 2 years ago for much less than £60, but it is now out of print. I've not read it yet, but Stephen Pollington is a well respected authority in Anglo Saxon matters.
Sarah
82.24.131.216
Re: More about herb books
February 11 2008, 2:42 PM
Having taken a look at Sarah's copy of Leechcraft, I'm looking forward to the new paperback version, although it will be on my book wishlist for a little while.
Sarah, I'm curious, who is Kathryn Hadfield? Is she a US author mentioned on your herbwives forum etc? I can't find any reference to her, I know Gabrielle Hatfield and can highly recommend the two books by her that I currently have ('Hatfield's Herbal: The Secret History of British Plants' and 'Memory, Wisdom and Healing: The History of Domestic Plant Medicine'). I googled Kathryn Hadfield and did a search on Amazon and can't find any books by her, help!
As to what I'm reading now, I'm a dipper! I tend to have several books on the go at once, there is one in just about every room of the house and if I fancy a quick read then I pick up the book in the room I'm in.
Currently the herb related books I'm reading are 'The Old English Herbals' by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde first published in 1922, 'The Magic Of Herbs' by C. F. Leyel first published in 1926 and 'Herbs And How To Know Them' by Mary Thorne-Quelch first published in 1946. Various other books are used almost daily for reference, but these are the 3 currently being read, digested and having the odd, 'WOW I didn't know that' type comments followed by notes being scribbled down. I have to add that I'm not counting the herb recipe books that I'm looking at every day and the new herb tea making/recipe books I'm reading and trying things out of, just the ones I'm sitting down and reading and learning from.
Debs
Sarah Head
194.221.40.3
Re: More about herb books
February 13 2008, 2:16 PM
Sorry Debs
I can only plead a senior moment when I typed Kathryn Hadfield instead of Gabrielle. Happily I am now half way through her book, 'Memory, Wisdom and Healing: The History of Domestic Plant Medicine'. It's very good, but I do wish she wouldn't keep repeating herself all the time. It strikes me she wrote each chapter separately with some time in between each and she forgot that she'd written almost exactly the same or closely related sentence previously. I'm surprised an editor didn't pick it up and query her. I'm looking forward to the second one.
I do like the fact she has included folk songs. Now I have some words, I can try and track down the tunes!
Sarah
61.91.35.110
What are you reading now?
February 21 2008, 6:31 AM
I recently picked up in a secondhand bookshop Herbal Therapy for Women by Elisabeth Brooke MNIMH{Thorsons 1992].
This not a writer I have encountered before.The book is a nice easy read and contains sensible,straightforward advice on exercise and diet.In the materia medica section there is the concept of showing both physicsl and emotional uses for each herb.
She puts forward the theory that some plants work well for some people and not for others and that this could be due to the personality of the plant and the emotional state of the patient.Although she says she doesnot wish to categorize the plants rigidly or extensively as in homoeopathy the discussion of mental and emotional states does bear similarities to the homoeopathic "drug pictures" and indications for the Bach remedies.Different concepts.
Apparently she has written several other books published by The Women's Press.
Kevin
88.106.100.223
what are you reading now?
February 21 2008, 11:28 PM
I have been reading a delightful book loaned to me by a patient. It was written in the mid 18th century by a 'Sir' John Hill and is an herbal, giving information and directions on a huge range of herbs and how to prepare them. Sir John Hill is the man who brought the Linnaean classification system to England and sounds to have been quite a character. David Garrick wrote an epigram about him: 'For physic and farces his equal there scarce is; his farces are physic; his physic a farce is'. (He also wrote plays, and designed gardens and was quite a busy bee.)
A book I got in a charity shop recently is also interesteing - by Mary Thorne Quelch and called 'Herbs for Daily Use'. It was written in 1941 and has various recipes in (such as rhubarb wine) and talks of different use of herbs as recounted to her by an 'old gypsy'. I belive she wrote a few books about herbs around that time.
Sarah Head
194.221.40.3
Re: what are you reading now?
February 22 2008, 9:47 AM
I think it's fascinating how many ancient herb books are coming to light at the moment.
I finished Gabrielle Hadfield's 'Memory, Wisdom and Healing: The History of Domestic Plant Medicine'on the late train coming back from London on Wednesday night and had also got through a chapter in the staff canteen at the Royal Free Hospital while waiting to start my workshop.
Two of the authors she quotes are Mary Beith's Healing Threads and Mary Webb's The Golden Arrow. Mary Webb collected Highland folk use of herbs and chants, while Mary Webb wrote novels about Shrophire rural life in the 19th century. Gabrielle argues in her book that self administration of herbs was a simple, straightforward affair with no rhymes or prayers used in their administration. She feels that the association of herbs with magic came when ordinary people approached "healers" who were considered more "expert" and therefore expected to present a more complex answer to any predicament.
She does mention that charms may well have helped people's confidence and acted as a placebo effect, but she appears to be putting forward the view that charms, prayers and chants had no place in the real world of herbal healing. At the very end of the book she even says that more scientific research needs to be done to prove that herbs are efficacious, which makes me wonder if she's part of the "we must have everything verified by randomised double blind trials because I don't believe the evidence of my own eyes and ears" brigade. I may be doing her a disservice, so I shall reserve judgement until I read her second book.
I did want to mention Mary Webb. I haven't read The Golden Arrow, but I have read Precious Bane, where she describes the mother being murdered by being given rhubarb leaf tea to drink. Her prose is delightful and I must go back again to discover any descriptions of herbs in her novels.
Sarah
61.7.172.241
What are you reading now?
February 25 2008, 5:30 AM
Mary Thorne Quelch wrote,as far as I am aware 4 books.All published 1940/50s by Faber&Faber.
They often crop up on Amazon UK.
Kevin
Sarah Head
194.221.40.3
Re: What are you reading now?
February 28 2008, 1:42 PM
I'm now deep into Joyce Wardwell's Herbal Home Remedies. The author lives in Michegan, not far from Jim McDonald and used to post regularly on Henriette's Herblist. Her book was well recommended by people on the list and I was looking forward to reading it.
It is a wonderful herb book for beginners and I've already learned things I didn't know before e.g. cocoa butter, like paraffin wax isn't absorbed through the skin, so if you want a salve which is absorbed, you need to use beeswax.
She gives details of her twenty or so local herbs, which unfortunately aren't necessarily my local herbs, which is a slight disappointment. Unfortunately I don't have access to white pine, poplar and alfalfa, but she does favour plantain and many other herbs I can use.
Her style is friendly and accessible and she explains things in a way which is easily understood without any scientific jargon. Her knowledge is obviously gained by many years of practical experience whilst bringing up her four children. She also gives details of how to make herbal wines and vinegars from scratch as well as offering simple formulas for every day conditions. I'm hoping to try some of them when things start to grow again.
Sarah
82.24.131.216
Re: What are you reading now?
May 8 2008, 10:30 AM
Simon just treated me to two new books, well actually they're both old books one from 1936 and one from 1959, both make fascinating reading.
The first is Herbs For Health by Dr. Otto Mausert, lots of formulas but some of them contain ingredients I'm not sure I'd be happy to use today. Herbs For Health was written I think for the American herbal market, it uses a lot of herbs that I know come from America and some that until this book I hadn't heard of, Thoroughwort (Ageratina adenophora)http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/thoroughwort.html and Quaker Button (Nux vomica) http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nuxvom08.html to name but two. The downside is none of the names have the latin names alongside, so if you're unfamiliar with the plant, you have to do some research to find out what it actually is. I scratched my head at Friars Cap Root only to find it was the American name for Aconite or Monkshood and Squaw Mint is Pennyroyal, but I'm learning and that's the point.
The second book is by Geoffrey Grigson (Sophie's father) 'A Herbal Of All Sorts', I haven't completely read this one, but I already know what 'Lucky Hand Roots' are now, and was surprised to learn that they are native to the UK! I never knew that autumn crocus were called Naked Nannies either! I think I shall have to revive the old 'Herbal Knowledge' pages to add some of these facts and interesting anecdotes.
The book jacket describes the book thus:- "It is first of all a herbal, that is to say it deals with the medicinal and magic uses of wild plants; but it also tells you about things to do with plants: picking, decorating, cooking and eating, dyeing. It is also a personal notebook about plants and their virtues..."
I'll post more when I've finished reading them, just thought I'd share them with you all. Apparently Simon picked them up along with a copy of Hilda Leyel's 'The Truth About Herbs', and 'Herbs And How To Know Them' by Mary Thorne-Quelch, for £4 the lot on ebay
Debs
Henriette
88.113.115.170
Re: What are you reading now?
May 8 2008, 4:00 PM
Mausert is online here: http://www.meridianinstitute.com/echerb/files/classics/mausert/contents.html - there, you'll find botanical names as well.
Michael Moore put the formulas online on their own: http://www.swsbm.com/ManualsOther/ManOther.html (scroll down to Mausert). He hasn't added current latin names to that.
Jane Tapping
89.242.240.231
what are you reading now
May 8 2008, 5:10 PM
Hello Debs,
Interested in the Naked Nannies. I've always known them as Naked Ladies.
As they are Saffron crocuses does that mean that in times gone past the ladies of Saffron Waldon cavorted about in the altogether? Sorry, not very serious I know but it conjured up an amusing picture.
Jane
82.24.131.216
Re: What are you reading now?
May 8 2008, 8:56 PM
Hi Henriette
Thanks for those links, makes looking up the herbs I don't know a lot easier, after I read your post it reminded me that Michael Moore had put Mausert online, I found it around the time I was looking up information about Samuel Thompson. Thanks for the reminder, the Meridian Institute stuff on Mausert is wonderful. I do love finding these old herbals online electronically, but actually holding the book and sitting and reading it enhances the learning experience for me.
Debs
82.24.131.216
Re: what are you reading now
May 8 2008, 9:30 PM
LOL Jane, have to say the image you just put in my mind made me smile to, I didn't know autumn crocus were called Naked Ladies either, in Grigson's book he lists over 60 english folk names for Quaking Grass (Briza media) and Germany has apparently 150 local names for the same plant! Makes me wonder just how many different names each herb has worldwide.
Debs
89.241.181.3
what are you reading now
May 9 2008, 11:20 AM
Hello Debs,
I love the old country names for plants. When we were children we always called Quaking Grass 'Wag Wantons'. Conjures up pictures of those rather disreputable ladies wagging their what evers all over the Chiltern Hills. Hawthorn was 'Bread and Cheese', didn't taste of much and Sorrel was 'Sour Sods', funnily we like chewing those leaves. Dad called Couch Grass 'Squitch' and some less repeatable names as well when he was clearing a patch on the allotment.
Jane
86.143.199.120
Re: what are you reading now
May 11 2008, 9:35 AM
Douglas bought me a lovely little book yesterday,called How to Enjoy Your Weeds by Audrey Wynne Hatfield pub in 1969.
I`m sure some of you will already have it but for those of you who don`t I`d really recommend it.I`d like to share the authors definition of weeds
"We have corrupted this word (weeds) and it`s meaning,it was weods, the Anglo-Saxon name for all herbs or small plants , some were called wyrt-our wort.-----A number of the plants we scorn today as our "weeds" were ready and waiting with their health giving qualities to serve man and beast long before grasses had numbers of fat ears or root crops thick tubers---.We should never belittle the original and constant value of such herbs"
I`ve checked on Amazon and it is available at low cost.One of those books that have that feel good factor.
linda
Sarah Head
194.221.40.3
Re: what are you reading now
May 20 2008, 11:12 AM
Just to let everyone know that Matthew Wood has a new book available published this month called The Earthwise Herbal. This is the first volume of two. The second will be published next year.
As far as I can tell, the aim of the book is to cover all herbs from "The old world" and you can read extracts on particular herbs on Matthew's website http://www.matthewwoodherbs.com/books.html.
Matthew is an amazingly wise herbalist who recently completed the Scottish School of Medicine's Masters Course. His thesis on "An Exploration of the Conceptual Foundations of Western Herbalism and Biomedicine" can be found at http://www.maquah.net/wood.html#-Introduction_
Like Christopher Hedley, Matthew Wood tells wonderful stories about the herbs he uses and the people who come to him for help. His Book of Herbal Wisdom is one of my favourite herb books.
I ordered the new book yesterday and will let you know what I think when I've had a read.
Sarah
92.21.68.76
Re: What are you reading now?
May 30 2008, 10:49 PM
Just had a message from ABE Books, they're offering a copy of Bauhin's 1650 "Historia Plantarum" for $9,259.61 (postage extra)
Don't know about you lot but I find collecting herb books prohibitively expensive! Not much good waiting for the paperback either, if someone was going to do one, I expect they would have done it by now.
82.24.131.216
Re: What are you reading now?
May 30 2008, 10:55 PM
I totally agree with you Anthony, although my collection is costing Simon more than me these days, it will be a goodly while until I can afford something like "Historia Plantarum", I'm be happy to get in the same room with a copy and be allowed to turn the pages!
Have to say that the oldest one we have is a Culpeper's and that is in need of restoration, I do thing the old herbals fascinating though, even the 1850 -1950 era is good, lots of interesting snippits and information that somehow has got buried in history and the modern herbals.
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