COST-EFFECTIVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY. By Eve and Terence McLaughlin. Hardcover.

(1978) 2010 1st edition thus. Square 4to hardback. Pp256. Monochrome illustrations by Lotte Oldfield. Paper-covered pictorial boards.

This book is something of a rediscovered classic. Originally a contemporary of the Seymours' Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency, Eve and Terence McLaughlins' book was first published in 1978 as Cost-Effective Self-Sufficiency or, The Middle-Class Peasant. The McLaughlins' approach is that of a gardener seeking to expand the scale of production and add some animals, rather than the national economy in microcosm advocated by John Seymour. In this edition, the original text has been "revised and updated by Diane Millis." Chapters include: Getting away from it all; Making the most of what you've got; Basic equipment; Protection; A compost; Where to grow; What to grow; Essential preparation; Planting; Spring; Summer; Autumn; Long-term produce; Undercover plants; Herbs; Fruit and nuts; Fertilisers and feeding; Pests and diseases; Natural storage; Food processing; Home-grown hooch; Making it pay; Livestock; Solar and wind power; Is it worth it? A great book, well worth a read for any gardener and smallholder, would-be or practising.