Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #301257 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-26
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Synopsis
There is geographical diversity, reflecting the whisky heartlands of Speyside and Islay, as well as many other locations, and diversity, too, in the subjects who have participated in this project. Warehousemen, mashmen, stillmen, coopers, coppersmiths, excisemen, managers, owners and even the occasional illicit distiller give us a unique insight into what the whisky industry has been like to work in during the past half century or so, and how it has changed during that time. Their stories make fascinating reading, and also serve as an invaluable contribution to Scottish social and industrial history. The text is accompanied by a wide range of intriguing black & white photographs. Some are contemporary, but many are borrowed from the personal albums of the subjects themselves, and serve to reinforce the intimacy and sense of personality at the core of this book.

Customer Reviews

AMAZING AMBER AMAZON !
What an absolutely seriously stunning book!
The connection between the photographs past and present were and are the most marvellous snapshots of comparative contemporary work I have ever seen! With so much passion, understanding and total empathy for the people as well as the subject matter.

This writer obviously has a true understanding of his subject, an unbelievable love for the people of the whisky trade which has been evident throughout the book.

Love of a subject over time must have been a challenge to compile. Such a wonderful work of art as well as fact.It is superb!

I wait in eager anticipation of what Gavin D Smith does next!

Nice stories about whisky men, but somewhat selective
The work of Gavin Smith is very interesting, since it it focused on the men producing whisky and not on the final product itself. The book is divided in sections covering the different topics related to whisky, from the barley to the maturation, including the excise officer. However, there are a few innacuracies in the book and I regret that the choice of whisky men is not a bit more extensive. Some men are present in almost all chapters and it seems to me that the author was a bit in a rush to get his book published.
Anyhow, I can recommend only recommend this book. It is orignal and entertaining.