The Cigar Companion [antikvár]

PUBLISHER' FOREWORDO^Migar culture has expanded on an unprecedented scale since C^this book was first published in 1993. In England and the United States in particular cigar-smoking has become a prestigious public pastime, and a hobby of the rich and famous. One rarely sees a movie or rock star without a cigar, and over the last 12 months alone the world has witnessed countless magazine covers sporting glamorous cigar-smoking women.This boom in cigar culture has naturally had a tremendous effect on demand and while researching this edition, it was not uncommon to hear manufacturers admit to large back-orders in suppliessometimes as high as six months worth. At the same time, there has been great scope for expansion, and several companies have taken advantage of this; new cigar brands have hit the market as fast as existing ones have been increasing their lines, and, with few exceptions, every brand has new sizes and many have a new look. There is a deliberate retrospective edge to current trends, and the figuardo shape, properly popular for the first time since the nineteenth century, has made a welcome comeback.Despite the change of pace forced by the great boom in their industry, cigar manufacturers have contributed generously to this book for the third time. Their continued enthusiasm and praise for The Cigar Companion was evident at many levels within the trade; some brands use their entry as a basis for their own sales pitch, while others regard the book as their most reliable source. Whatever the reason, the book has played a major role in the cigar wodd over the last four years, and there is a definite indication that it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.march 1997