Full marks to Neil Wilson for republishing this modest volume on what, in the world of whisky, is a rather large subject, despite not being able to locate the original publisher (Jupiter Books) when it first appeared in 1977. The author, Allen Andrews, is said to have died in September1984. He was born in 1913 and was educated at Bancroft School and St. John’s College, Oxford.  He was a prolific writer and many of his books were translated into other languages

As well as a general introduction to the whisky aristocracy, it gives us well crafted essays on the key Scottish distillers/blenders, namely James Buchanan, Tommy Dewar, James Stevenson (the man behind Johnnie Walker) and Peter Mackie of White Horse fame, as well as the principals of the London wine and spirits merchants, Berry Brothers and Rudd, who contributed so much to the ascendency of Scotch in the US market. There are some particularly lusty insights into the Prohibition era. Not a heavy volume, but a very informative one.