I believe I read somewhere that this book by William Woys Weaver has been out- of -print for some time and Mother Earth News/Odgen Publications has reprinted it out of public demand, and because this is an important reference book on Heirloom Vegetables. This book is circa 2008; I don't know the original publishing date.
Nevertheless, William Woys Weaver is considered first and foremost a scholar, as well as gardener, chef and novelist. The bibliography to this edition shows the extensive historical documentation he did in writing this book on Heirloom vegetables and plants.
Peter Hatch wrote the forward to this book. Hatch is the director of the Thomas Jefferson Monticello gardens in Virginia and is also a must read author on the subject of Heirloom vegetables/Jefferson's Gardens; as he has over the years, painstakingly restored the Monticello vegetable gardens and other plants from Jefferson's own garden diaries, maps and notes. In his Forward Hatch says of Weaver's book:
"....Heirloom Vegetable Gardening is so important. This book is an encyclopedia , a dictionary to our lost vegetable heritage— defining the vocabulary of our vegetable past, providing a guide to an untranslated language."
William, Weaver (2013-01-02). Heirloom Vegetable Gardening (Kindle Locations 94-95). Ogden Publications Inc.. Kindle Edition.
I love this book because W.W. Weaver discusses his own personal family history/connections with growing and saving Heirloom seeds and plants, and his extensive historical documentation of (books and other sources:) vegetables that range from 1591 through the colonial American period, including important tomes from France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy--to the present day. In this book Weaver outlines 750 types of vegetables and gives detailed profiles of 250 vegetables and plants. It is as Hatch says an encyclopedia.
I would highly recommend reading this book along with Peter Hatch's book "A Rich Spot of Earth" Thomas Jefferson's Revolutionary Garden at Monticello(circa 2012). I say this because I appreciated and understood so much more of Weaver's Heirloom Vegetable Gardening having previously read Hatch's book on Jefferson's gardens. As is true of Weaver's research with the present book; he discusses many of the same people and sources that Jefferson corresponded with in procuring seeds, plants, information, gardening techniques, etc. This review cannot give justice to all the historical information and knowledge that you will gain from reading this book and Peter Hatch as well.
Both books combined, as a gardener, I have a greater sense of historical pride and understand the historical importance of continuing the gardening tradition that our founding fathers' started and a greater pride that I stand in the shadow of those who continue to educate us with their experiences and writings on Heirloom vegetables.
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