Man Walks Into A Pub: A Sociable History of Beer (Fully Updated Second Edition)

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My advice is, if you have an abiding interest in beer, resist any urge to put the book down.

I stuck it out and was treated to a wealth of information hitherto unknown to me about cask conditioned ales and Britain's real ale movement. I finished with both my curiosity and my thirst piqued. A drinkable historical artifact? What a grand notion! For those with a passion for beer, Mr.

Brown will reward your perseverance too. The answer to my title is found in this book.

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A very comprehensive history of pubs and the beers they sold all told with a liberal smattering of humour. Pete Brown slips in the origins of certain words and phrases that I always wondered about but never questioned. A compelling read for all those who appreciate good pubs and beer. One person found this helpful. Great history of beer drinking in the UK, and by extension the world.

More facts and figures than I'll ever remember, presented with wit, warmth and humor -- to the point where I laughed the beer right out of my nose a few times. If you've ever actually thought about beer and wondered how it got its wonderful grip on so many people, this is the read for you. Exactly what I wanted! Wow, so many things I never knew about beer. From it's medieval beginnings to British pubs opening in bombed out buildings during the Blitz to the buy outs, conglomerations and watering down in the tail end of the 20th century.

Peter Brown tells the tale as only an enthusiastic beer drinker as opposed to a beer enthusiast could tell it. I took a break from my labors of searching for decent beer during the 90's, I emerged in the 21st century to find a world filled with world class beers brewed in the "neighborhood". That was in Texas, Oh forget about Wisconsin. Even their Michelob is better than yours.. High quality pushed pints brewed in the basement of the pub you're in, bottled beers brewed right down the street.

Enjoy the Renaissance people, crack open one of your favorites, crack open this book and appreciate what a long journey it was to your glass.. The only down side? No "man walks into a pub" jokes.. I hoped it would be a bit more about American habits how close minded of me but it was so interesting to see how the evolution has gotten us to where we are. As always, written with smart humor and insight. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this walkthrough of time and ale For anyone who has visited English pubs at different times this gives a wonderful accounting of the history and changes of both pub and beer over the millennium.

Read this over a pint or two!! I really liked this book because it gave me more of an insight on how the English perceive the pub. This book also helped me understand the drinking culture of England and how it came to be that way. See all 15 reviews. Most recent customer reviews. Published on August 29, Published on December 18, Published on September 17, Published on May 1, Published on February 5, Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers.

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But they're well meant. I also got a bit wound up by the jingoism of some of the tone, which can feel a bit Clarksonian lines like 'that's the French for you' and 'we're British, after all' - which, i A curate's egg and probably better if you do enjoy a chatty companion. I also got a bit wound up by the jingoism of some of the tone, which can feel a bit Clarksonian lines like 'that's the French for you' and 'we're British, after all' - which, if you're not especially British, gets a bit tiresome. Still, good on recent beer marketing history, hilarious booze crimes like Watney's Red Barrel and the ever-evolving, ever destructive industry.

Does a valuable service too having a dig at CAMRA, and posing the question 'well, what is authentic anyway? Perfectly decent in its category, I suppose. Jan 31, Carla Coulston rated it liked it. This book was given to my husband for Christmas and I only picked it up because of a dire lack of anything to read at the time.

Being a dyed-in-the-wool wine drinker, I have no interest whatsoever in beer, or the history of it; but it was a book, and it was the only option available at the time. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. It helps that Brown brings it to life in his unique, witty way, but the story in itself is a ripper as well. If only there were one about wine followup, Pete? Almost enough to make me want a Heineken. Despite Brown writing the book in a jokey, blokey style, it's actually almost academic in its scope and thesis.

So the thing that frustrates me most about this edition is the lack of index. There are so many fascinating pieces of information that it'd be good to be able to look them up. Similarly, although he packs the book with footnotes, these are generally funny asides. That's all well and good, and some of them made me laugh out loud, but I'd kinda like to have proper references for his sour Despite Brown writing the book in a jokey, blokey style, it's actually almost academic in its scope and thesis.

That's all well and good, and some of them made me laugh out loud, but I'd kinda like to have proper references for his sources rather than just a reading list at the back.

So a great book if you're happy to just enjoy it as a leisurely, humourous read, but slightly frustrating if you actually take seriously a lot of the stuff he actually takes seriously, beneath the chatting-in-the-boozer idiom. I love, love, love when someone writes a book that involves PhD-levels of research but presents it in an engaging way that's sort of an irreverently academic self-deprecating memoir.

I especially love it when the thesis is as grandiose as: After Into the Woods.

Man Walks into a Pub: A Sociable History of Beer

Sep 01, Brad rated it really liked it. Not knowing quite what to expect, I found the book to be a great read, very funny and full of quotable trivia. Although beer and beer culture are the focus, the author does a great job of using the topic to shine a light on cultural shifts and tensions. The book begins in the deep past, and is quite funny, becoming more serious as the account becomes more contemporary, reflecting, I believe, the authors passion for the subject.

All in all, a worthwhile and recommended read. Sep 04, Rob Godfrey rated it really liked it. The title says it all. Reading the introduction and the very long list of words we use for getting or being drunk brought tears of laughter to my eyes. A thoroughly enjoyable book, although sometimes the 'laddish' commentary was sometimes a bit overused. Over all a good book, I've actually got the Kindle edition which doesn't seem to be listed in the options - the only annoying thing is that 3rd level footnotes don't link to the right place - but there's only a few of those, and weirdly the 4th level works again there's only one of those!

Sep 14, Paul rated it it was amazing Shelves: An enthralling, engaging and thoroughly researched journey around British beer and drinking habits. Pete Brown has a very down to earth style which he effectively employs to reveal a multitude of fascinating facts and dispel many myths over years of brewing and ale-supping. A must read for anyone interested in the history of beer! Fun book about the history of beer and pubs in England.

Brown adds enough humor to keep the book fun. At the same time he has a lot of knowledge on the subject and provides plenty of facts about beer. I found the history of the breweries particularly interesting given how similar that is to what is currently going on with many breweries in the states. An expansive and engaging history of Beer and it's drinking in England that doesn't take itself too seriously, written by someone who clearly loves his subject.

Plenty of material for beer fans or social historians to enjoy perfect for historians who like beer. I should have guessed Brown was from Barnsley. Very interesting history of the beer and pub business as it relates to the culture of the UK from the very beginning to the present. Brown presents the information in a light and entertaining manner.

Be forewarned, there is a LOT of information here. Only read this if you want to go deep into this topic. Nov 28, Gareth Davies rated it really liked it Shelves: An interesting meandering look at the British brewing industry with a good focus on the public house systems all the way from the origins and beer wives. Worth a look for any fan of beer history and especially the British context. Quite an interesting book. It is a social history of beer and pubs in the UK. It's not an acedemic book, but a light hearted introduction to the complex relationship us Brits have had with beer and pubs.

Feb 23, Rachel Knickmeyer rated it really liked it Shelves: A fun read for anyone with a passion for beer and the places where we drink beer. I'd love to read a similar writeup of American drinking habits, but this peak into the English love affair with beer was entertaining even for this outsider.

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Apr 12, Katherine Simmons rated it it was amazing. Engaging style of writing covering the origins of the pub and how social drinking has evolved. Jun 19, Allyson Shaw rated it really liked it. A conversational history of beer by my favourite beer writer. Jan 06, Danyil Malukha rated it really liked it Shelves: Very casual tone belies a rather complex examination of the interaction of social mores, government regulation, desire, prudishness, and unintended consequences.

Aug 19, Liv Walker rated it really liked it. Enjoyable book with a host of quirky facts and stories about the National Obsession. I read the original version - would be interested to read his update - the resurgence of cider and microbreweries. Mar 31, Stephen rated it really liked it.

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As informative as it was entertaining. Jul 08, Simon rated it liked it.

Nice diversion from a man who respects and yet still doesn't quite understand his subject. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. There is more than one author with this name Pete Brown is an English writer who has written extensively on the subject of beer and drinking cultures around the world. Brown was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and now lives in London. Above bio is from Wikipedia. Photo is from Flickr user epicbeer. Books by Pete Brown. Trivia About Man Walks into a

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