James Norwood Pratt’s “Tea Lover’s Treasury”.
Tea and books – a combination that for many is right up there with bacon and eggs, tomato and basil, and fish and chips.
When you’re in the mood, there is very little else that can give more pleasure when combined with a good cup of tea than reading an equally good book, and what better subject for said book than tea itself.
If such a thing as a “must have tea book” exists, then for many it will simply have to be James Norwood Pratt‘s “Tea Lover’s Treasury“.
First published in 1982, the author has re-written this work twice to reflect subsequent changes in the teaosphere – firstly in 2000 as “The New Tea Lover’s Treasury“, and then yet again in 2011 as “The Ultimate Tea Lover’s Treasury“.
It’s so detailed and comprehensive a handling of the subject that one can often read of it being used as a training manual and handbook for those making their way in the tea industry.
With chapters covering amongst other topics the history of tea, teaware, tea lore, tea ceremonies and etiquette, and the different types and classes of tea, one can treat this volume as both an invaluable reference tome or as drop-in entertainment.
As with everything from the pen of JNP, almost every sentence, and most certainly every paragraph, contains either a wry and amusing tea related anecdote or a fascinating tea fact, and quite often both. Selected quotations alone would fill a separate good sized book.
In short, a book any true tea aficionado cannot afford to overlook.
Click here to go to “The Ultimate Tea Lover’s Treasury” at Amazon.com.
Northern Teaist 
Sounds like a must read to me; a great resource and entertaining too.
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That’s JNP’s work in a nutshell – it’ll educate you and put a smile on your face at the same time!
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I’m looking for good tea books to read. This is great! 😀 Thank you.
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You’re most welcome.
Order it today – you won’t regret it..! 🙂
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Thank you. So many to read on tea too. Also spotted that you can buy a book for a TEA exam – that is if you want to become a Treasury Enforcement Agent! I will try not to let that spoil my next cup.
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You’re welcome.
Treasury Enforcement Agent!? Blimey! I bet they like their tea black, to match their suits… 🙂
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Awesome, I’ve added this one to my list. I did, of course, hark on about Okakura Kakuzō’s The Book of Tea during my world famous Tea Week special. It’d be great to see those two duke it out in a Harry Hill’s TV Burp styled “Which is better? Fight!” kinda thing. Oh man… it’s such a shame reality doesn’t work like that.
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Hopefully the only combat two such great tea sages would engage in would be a battle of tea trivial pursuit, or an independently judged brew-off to see who could entice the most flavour from a rare aged Pu-erh…
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Nonsense! Give them cudgels and let them loose. Have at you!
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