Book Review: From A to Bee: My First Year as a Beginner Beekeeper

Title: From A to Bee: My First Year as a Beginner Beekeeper

Author: James Dearsley

Year: 2013

ISBN: 0857657216 (ISBN13: 9780857657213)

GoodReads Reviews

My Score: 2/5

This may seem like a bit of a harsh score, so let me add some context. 

This is the fifth book I have read on the subject of beekeeping, so I guess I came to the book already equipped with a fair amount of the knowledge that the author discovers during his journey. Because of this I found it hard to read the impending doom into which the author seemed to leap into on almost every conceivable occasion.

If you intend to read this book, go into it looking to be entertained rather than educated. With the background that the book is created from a series of stream-of-consciousness blog postings, the diversions into the authors private (non-bee) life become understandable. When viewed through the lens of James Herriot type escapades, the book becomes an entertaining read.


There were a few tips I picked up that I hadn't found in other texts (such as what goes on a beekeeping club meetings). On balance, this wouldn't be a book I'd place high on my reading pile, but an interesting read nonetheless, perhaps one worth keeping for the winter - with a few glasses of a nice red wine.