My list of books of significance (rather than those most often picked up for
pure relaxation) starts with the small group of science-based  books that
illuminates the nature of the bee colony - and so what beekeeping is all
about.

Mark Winston, The Biology of the Honey Bee, Harvard University Press, 1987

Thomas Seeley, Honeybee Ecology, Princeton University Press, 1985

Thomas Seeley, The Wisdom of the Hive, Harvard University Press, 1995

A hint more historcal - but still very valuable -

C R Ribbands, Behaviour and Social Life of Honeybees, Bee Reasarch Assn,
1953

Colin Butler, The World of the Honeybee, Collins, 1954 - numerous reprints

and then of course

L L Langstroth, The Hive and the Honey Bee, 1853 - facsimile edition Root,
1977

For reference, there is

E B Wedmore, Manual of Beekeeping, Edward Arnold 1932,   2nd edn 1945 -
still in print

and,  easier on the eye,

Morse & Hooper, Illustrated Encyclopedia of Beekeeping, Blandford Press,
1985

Practical, 'how to do it', books are difficult to place in order - they tend
to be scewed to the preferences of the author - u need to choose one that
suits your particular circumstances and beekeepers vary so much.  A
generally trustworthy exception is

Ted Hooper, Guide to Bees and Honey , Marston House, 1976 - 4th edn 1997
(post varooa update ).

and an unusual (but stimulating)  volume is

Pierre Jean-Prost, Apiculture, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co, 1994 - a 650
pages translation of the 6th French edition 1987 of L'Apiculture:connaitre
l'abbeille; conduire le rucher .

That's 10!  But to look to the future, when hopefully honey will be
recognised as a health regulator and natural medicine,   include, say

Joe Traynor, Honey - The Gourmet Medicine, Kovak Books, 2002

P.S.  Samuel Simmins, A Modern Bee Farm,  was mentioned by Clay.   The 3
edns , 1887 - 195 pages, 1904 - 400pp , 1928 - 500pp  present the developing
thoughts of a very original man over a period of 50 years.  Way ahead of its
time - blocked by the orthodoxy of Thomas Cowan's 50 year presidency of the
British Beekeepers Assn.

Robin Dartington

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