Dig on for victory - C. H. Middleton

Mr Middleton was the Alan Titchmarsh of his day; the first and most resonant in a long line of media gardeners. His audience was the embattled British nation, hanging onto his every word during his wartime BBC broadcasts on gardening.

It was Mr Middleton who exhorted us to dig for victory, dig for dear life', and, as in this book, advised us that an allotment is like the army. The first month is the worst: after that you begin to enjoy it.'

Dig On for Victory is a facsimile reissue of the original 1945 guide and is follow-up to Mr Middleton's classic text, Digging for Victory.

Covering all seasons, Mr Middleton's All-Year-Round Gardening Guide offers tips on growing everything from celeriac to strawberries. This book also features fascinating period advertisements for Mushrooms as a War Food Crop' and The Value of Cloches', for, as Middleton advises us, Available food will have to be shared with a starving Europe, which may mean even greater sacrifices for us.

Sage, gruff, touching and especially relevant to these new times of thrift, Dig On for Victory is the perfect companion for the modern gardener.