When confronted about his heavy cigar habit, Freud is said to have opined that ‘Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar’. However sometimes, a cigar is so much more. In Playboy: The Book of Cigars, Aaron Sigmond and Nick Kolakowski examine the history, the mechanics, and the science of the cigar connoisseur in a free and easy way, demystifying the rich aura that surrounds them.

Sigmond and Kolakowski do a remarkable job documenting the history of the industry and the production process from the machines, to the leaves, to the workers, while interspersing the book with vintage advertisements and centerfolds from the Playboy archives enjoying Cohibas, Montecristos and the like. Playboy: The Book of Cigars is published by Skyhorse Publishing and is available now.