Oranges was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1967, expanded from a New Yorker piece. The book is McPhee’s demonstration that there is no uninteresting subject — only uninterested writers. Oranges: their biology (the genetics of citrus, the mechanics of photosynthesis in the fruit), their history (from Southeast Asian origins through Mediterranean trade to Florida groves), their commerce (the making of frozen concentrated orange juice, the grading systems, the economics of grove ownership), and their culture (the orange as symbol, as gift, as luxury turned commodity).
McPhee writes about oranges with the same precision and curiosity he brings to geology or wilderness exploration. He describes the process by which oranges are turned into concentrate with the same attention to detail he gives to plate tectonics. He profiles growers and pickers and scientists with the same interest he shows basketball players and canoe builders. The lesson is methodological: McPhee demonstrates that nonfiction writing of the highest quality can address any subject whatsoever, provided the writer approaches it with genuine curiosity and the willingness to do the reporting.
The book is slight (barely 150 pages) but complete — there is nothing missing, nothing wasted. It has become a touchstone for writing teachers: a perfect example of what sustained attention to an apparently unpromising subject can produce.
Collecting Oranges
First edition (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1967): Cloth with dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $100–$250
- Very good: $40–$100
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate-to-strong appreciation. A McPhee classic.
Everything About Oranges
Oranges (1967) is McPhee’s second book and a perfect example of his method: taking an apparently mundane subject and revealing its hidden depths. The book covers the history, botany, cultivation, economics, and culture of the orange in remarkable detail — from ancient China to Florida’s citrus belt. McPhee writes about orange juice processing, frost protection, the difference between Valencias and navels, and the role of oranges in art and literature with the same attentive intelligence he brings to geology or nuclear physics. The book demonstrated that McPhee could make literally anything interesting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this really just about oranges? Yes, and that is the point. McPhee’s genius is the conviction that any subject, explored with sufficient curiosity and craft, becomes fascinating. Oranges is a demonstration of this principle and a manifesto for the kind of writing McPhee would practice for the next fifty years.