- Paperback: 214 pages
- Publisher: Vintage; New edition edition (4 Mar 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0099286394
- ISBN-13: 978-0099286394
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 325,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
' Erudite, short and highly entertaining' Sunday Telegraph
Product Description
In Shakespeare's Henry V the French lords quail at the thought of British soldiers, who eat like wolves and fight like devils after 'great meals of beef'. Two centuries later, eighteenth-century England rings to boisterous renderings of 'The Roast beef of Old England' and loud cries of 'Beef and Liberty'. And, even today, the French ban on British beef is seen as a slight on the nation, with angry letter to the papers denouncing French food. Ben Rogers' tale is rich in vivid historical detail; from the use of the roasting jack to the foundation of the Sublime Society of Beefsteaks, which still meets in London today, from the origins of English mustard to the banning of bull-baiting in 1827. Resonant and funny, illustrated throughout with prints and drawings, including famous works by Hogarth and Gillray, Beef and Liberty is a feast to relish, an entirely original history, and a pioneering study in a new subject - food nationalism.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a tasty entry (or maybe I should say entree) in the "cultural history of food" genre. Mr. Rogers provides a brief history of the importance of beef, beer, bulldogs and John Bull in helping to forge an English national identity. Why, in particular, the above items? Good, hearty roast beef is used to differentiate the Englishman from the "foppish and effeminate" Frenchman, who can't be trusted because all of his food is hidden under a bunch of fancy sauces. Beer is a "honest," healthy drink- which won't lead to drunkeness and ruin- as opposed to, say, gin (brought over from Holland with William III) and fortified wines such as port. The bulldog exemplies the simplicity, directness, courage and tenacity of the "typical" Englishman, as does John Bull. Mr. Rogers has rooted out many interesting and humorous historical tidbits. Here are a few samples: The Duke of Newcastle's one-time chef, Cloue, was held up by patriotic Englishmen as a perfect example of a wasteful French cook- "it was said that he had once used twenty-two partridges to make a sauce for a couple of pigeons"; Jonathan Swift "derided opera as 'unnatural' and 'wholly unsuitable to our northern climate, and the genius of the people, whereby we are overrun with Italian effeminacy and Italian nonsense' "; and, in yet another dig at the French, "One guide to female conduct declared, 'The loveliest mouth in the world would have no charm if instead of a pure breath...it emitted a pungent odour of onions, garlic, chalot, or any such horror.' " As you can see from the above excerpt regarding opera, Mr. Rogers branches out and covers topics other than "the four B's." A goodly portion of the book deals with art- mainly the work of Hogarth and James Gillray. The book is chock-full of black-and-white reproductions of some of their best known work (much of the content involves eating and drinking), and the author provides interesting commentaries as an accompaniment to the plates. Mr. Rogers shows us how, in "The Rake's Progress," Hogarth satirized what he saw as the grandiose French style of (history) painting, as well as the "low" Dutch style (painting landscapes and everyday objects). The author also points out that many of these works sent mixed signals- they weren't just about patriotism and propaganda. (After all, a great artist recognizes the complexity of the world.) For example, when George II was shown Hogarth's "The March To Finchley," he was outraged by the depiction of British soldiers- one soldier is seen groping a milkmaid and another is reaching out to get a swig of gin.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a tasty entry (or maybe I should say entree) in the "cultural history of food" genre. Mr. Rogers provides a brief history of the importance of beef, beer, bulldogs and John Bull in helping to forge an English national identity. Why, in particular, the above items? Good, hearty roast beef is used to differentiate the Englishman from the "foppish and effeminate" Frenchman, who can't be trusted because all of his food is hidden under a bunch of fancy sauces. Beer is a "honest," healthy drink- which won't lead to drunkeness and ruin- as opposed to, say, gin (brought over from Holland with William III) and fortified wines such as port. The bulldog exemplies the simplicity, directness, courage and tenacity of the "typical" Englishman, as does John Bull. Mr. Rogers has rooted out many interesting and humorous historical tidbits. Here are a few samples: The Duke of Newcastle's one-time chef, Cloue, was held up by patriotic Englishmen as a perfect example of a wasteful French cook- "it was said that he had once used twenty-two partridges to make a sauce for a couple of pigeons"; Jonathan Swift "derided opera as 'unnatural' and 'wholly unsuitable to our northern climate, and the genius of the people, whereby we are overrun with Italian effeminacy and Italian nonsense' "; and, in yet another dig at the French, "One guide to female conduct declared, 'The loveliest mouth in the world would have no charm if instead of a pure breath...it emitted a pungent odour of onions, garlic, chalot, or any such horror.' " As you can see from the above excerpt regarding opera, Mr. Rogers branches out and covers topics other than "the four B's." A goodly portion of the book deals with art- mainly the work of Hogarth and James Gillray. The book is chock-full of black-and-white reproductions of some of their best known work (much of the content involves eating and drinking), and the author provides interesting commentaries as an accompaniment to the plates. Mr. Rogers shows us how, in "The Rake's Progress," Hogarth satirized what he saw as the grandiose French style of (history) painting, as well as the "low" Dutch style (painting landscapes and everyday objects). The author also points out that many of these works sent mixed signals- they weren't just about patriotism and propaganda. (After all, a great artist recognizes the complexity of the world.) For example, when George II was shown Hogarth's "The March To Finchley," he was outraged by the depiction of British soldiers- one soldier is seen groping a milkmaid and another is reaching out to get a swig of gin. This is a very interesting book, and in just 183 pages of text it contains much food for thought. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)
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