Andrew schreef:A waste of the earth's precious resources is the only way to describe this crime against Cognac and publishing.

With France's AOCs so dictatorial and so regulatory, and the French public so pedantic and vocal on matters pertaining to language, culture and food & drink, I am surprised that a motion has not been implemented to have this publication removed from shelves.

As there is no motion underway (that I am aware of) so I urge all lovers of Cognac to boycott this book - in that same way that religious slurs and idolatry are protested against if they appear in print, so this book should not be tolerated. However, please don't burn it because that will mean you will have to actually purchase a copy - and I couldn't condone that!

I was hoping, nay, expecting to be informed and educated and instead I was simply very frustrated and very annoyed. Why do I hate this folly so much? Why do I despise from the very depth of my being, this totally farcical ride into banality? I shall tell you why, in the simplest and politest language I can muster.

My three big beefs with publication can be categorised as follows:

i) Language
ii) Information
iii) Bias

Firstly, as a teacher of English composition in Japan, I was painfully reminded of my student's submission. In fact, the level of the English was that infantile and the syntax so utterly painful, that I thought I was reading their homework rather than a bone fide publication. With a little research it turns out that this travesty was originally published in the French language entitled L'ABCdaire du Cognac. Although they do credit a translator, one Anne Trager, clearly this has not been correctly translated, proof-read and re-edited because it reads much more like translation done through software than a knowing bi-lingual individual. Besides the criminally bad linguistics, the actual content is also highly dubious and altogether too subjective, too romantic and totally without citation and reference. Although the book is littered with asterisks, their are neither footnotes nor endnotes to quantify and qualify the often subjective and at times downright bizarre conjecture.

Secondly, according to the reverse of the jacket, this book should provide the reader with 'Everything you want to know about your favourite subject in one handy volume' - really? Surely, if one wishes to know details about such fascinating topics as: Barges, Bottles, Glass, Inventory, Napoleon (the historical figure), Notability and Clergy, Pineau, Remedy, Safety and so on, then this book should be right up your street. However, for the avid connoisseur of Cognac who wishes to deepen their knowledge and understanding of this spirit there is sadly no more than a few sentences in the entire publication, worth reaching for the highlight pen for.

Finally, whilst this book is entitled 'The Little Book of Cognac' or the 'ABC of Cognac' depending upon your language, there is no mention in either title of the word Hennessy, had there been then I most certainly would have avoided this book as I avoid their beverage. Why then is this arguably no more than a publicity pamphlet for the Hennessy corporation? What do I mean my such an accusation? Well despite there being a LOT more to Cognac than Hennessy, of the photographic credits in this book the following pages are attributed to Hennessy in some form: 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13,14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 44, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 62, 67, 69, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 83, 88, 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 99, 101, 102, 105, 106, 107, 110 Back cover top and middle. Does that seem to the esteemed reader like a fair and unbiased exposition of Cognac? How about the fact that on p109 among the 'useful addresses' Hennessy is the only Cognac house whose name appears alongside data such as tourism boards and offices. Likewise on p120 Hennessy is credited and thanked, no other Cognac house is! I could further substantiate this point by citing the endless (unnecessary) references to the Hennessy Company in the actual text but I have forgone that chance because I can't be bothered to find and cite those pages.

To summate, DON'T BUY THIS BOOK, and if someone gives you it as a present, ask for the receipt and return it for something useful. Better still, save your hard-earned, and buy a bottle of Cognac, wait for a fine evening and invite your friends round to share the joy - you will learn a whole lot more than this publication could ever aspire to teach you. Cognac drinkers of the world unite!