Books: Man walks into a Pub

A man walks into a bar. Isn't it how most of the jokes starts? This book, whose title seemed to inspired from opening line of a joke, written by Pete Brown is not a book of jokes. Even so, it shares a link with a book of jokes. There is a lot of humor in it. That is not surprising as Pete is a Brit. Do you remember what they say about the Brit and their sense of humor. In this book, Pete, with a more than moderate sprinkling of humor, tells you the history of the pub. The effect is you will never walk into another pub without unconsciously thinking about what Pete has written.

Like I mentioned before, Pete is a Brit. As a result, the story of the pub is told with respect to Britain. There are a few occasions when he crosses over the channel and also the ocean to many other parts of the world. But that is a short digression. He returns back to the island very quickly. With a language that is easy to understand at the same time brisk to read, Pete traces the history of pub when it was brewed and served in the brewer's home. The advertisement was limited to makeshift signs found outside the house. He also tells us the struggle of pub owners through the ages. The tied house system leaves the pub owner at the mercy of the big breweries. The government levies taxes. The temperance movement blames the pub owner for the evils of the society. As you can see, it is not easy to be a pub owner. The pub is also responsible for creation of new brews. Unfortunately, when consolidation and integration of pubs and brewers has resulted in the loss of some of the ancient brews.

There are many interesting facts about the pubs in this book. This book is for you if you love beer or if you would like to know more about the place where you would love to hang out with your friends. As it is written in a way to distract you from the real life worries, this book is good to read at any time of the year.

Tags: Books,Pete Brown,Pub,Beer