This book is the first to apply the discoveries of the new generation of food historians worldwide to the unashamedly romantic appeal of the subject: to the culinary accomplishments of diverse civilizations, past and present, and to the pleasures of dining. The result is truly a history of taste: our most elevated, elegant and pleasurable thoughts about food - ingredients, preparation, presentation - since prehistory. From beginning to end this is an enthralling and richly illustrated story of one of the most vital clues not just to what keeps us alive, but to what makes us feel alive.
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Review
'A fascinating read'
--The World of Interiors
--The World of Interiors
About the Author
Paul Freedman is Professor of History at Yale and a former Chairman of the Department of History there. Among his previous books is Images of the Medieval Peasant.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By J M Barrie
Format:Hardcover
A collection of interesting and informative essays on on the history of eating from prehistoric through to modern times. The approach is scholarly, but still accessible for the general reader. Beautifully and abundantly illustrated, this is neither a coffee table book, nor an academic treatise. If you are interested in the topic, you will probably find it a worthwhile read.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars
7 reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Gastronomy in a Fine Style
4 Nov 2007
By Helena Napier
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I must say I was truly fortunate to receive a pre-publication copy of this exquisite volume. Editor Paul Freedman displays all the literary deftness of an M.F.K. Fisher or Calvin Trillin, without ignoring the analytic depth of gastronomic writing since Brillat-Savarin. An academic historian, Freedman treats the history of cuisine with a refreshing clarity and seriousness in his introduction. Connecting matters of food to class and taste throughout the history of the West and its influences, the editor provides ample fodder for "foodie," academic, and lay-reader alike with his lively and engaging overview of world cuisine that opens the volume and connects its essays.
Both the UC Press edition and the Thames & Hudson edition feature lavish illustrations and elegant typography. The essays are cutting-edge without ignoring the needs of the previously un-informed or merely curious, making this an ideal coffee-table volume or holiday gift as much as it could be serious reading. Ideally shelved near Harold McGee, "Food: The History of Taste" is likely to become a cross-market classic for the near future.
Both the UC Press edition and the Thames & Hudson edition feature lavish illustrations and elegant typography. The essays are cutting-edge without ignoring the needs of the previously un-informed or merely curious, making this an ideal coffee-table volume or holiday gift as much as it could be serious reading. Ideally shelved near Harold McGee, "Food: The History of Taste" is likely to become a cross-market classic for the near future.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the hardback - if you're considering waiting
22 Feb 2008
By GMO
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I don't typically purchase hardbacks - other than coffee table books, I'll wait for paperback, check out from a library, e-book, or just borrow from a friend. Reading about the quality illustrations and photos in this book prompted me to just go ahead and click "Buy."
It arrived about two hours ago, and I've skimmed through the whole book and finished reading the introductory chapter, so I admit this isn't a complete review. However, I have to say the photos and illustrations are really beautiful. The heft of this work make me recommend this purchase as a hardback and make this an example of what can't be the same with e-books or the Kindle (sorry, Amazon!). I'm looking forward to curling up with this book with some delicacies over this lousy weather weekend! Bon appetit!
Addendum: April 11, 2008 - Well, after several leisurely sit-downs, I finished this book and have to reiterate the joy I received from reading this book. Like Art History tells a story of cultures and civilizations (usually with the Elites perspective), food tells a story through time, and with greater representation across a society/culture. Loved it!
It arrived about two hours ago, and I've skimmed through the whole book and finished reading the introductory chapter, so I admit this isn't a complete review. However, I have to say the photos and illustrations are really beautiful. The heft of this work make me recommend this purchase as a hardback and make this an example of what can't be the same with e-books or the Kindle (sorry, Amazon!). I'm looking forward to curling up with this book with some delicacies over this lousy weather weekend! Bon appetit!
Addendum: April 11, 2008 - Well, after several leisurely sit-downs, I finished this book and have to reiterate the joy I received from reading this book. Like Art History tells a story of cultures and civilizations (usually with the Elites perspective), food tells a story through time, and with greater representation across a society/culture. Loved it!
28 of 31 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Delicious Read
23 Nov 2007
By JC
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
The eating of food has often had a prominent place in literature because it says so much about who's doing the eating. So it's not surprising that this assemblage of well-written academic essays on cuisines and the societies that produce them captures the reader's interest so readily. The diversity of cuisines covered both in geography and time provides a real feel for the diversity of human experience at the table (or at the Neolithic hearth). Professor Freedman's book works either as a coffee table browser or a straight read. I read it cover to cover and enjoyed it all. My own preferences are the chapters on prehistory, ancient Greece and Rome, and the development of the restaurant in the 18th century. The many pictures included are great fun.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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