Food: A Culinary History (European Perspectives: A Series in Social Thought and Cultural Criticism)

Very interesting and I learned things I had no inkling about. It stroked my curiosity to a near obsession and now I'm reading all kinds of books about culinary history worldwide.

This book provides an excellent review of all things relating to food: what was available, by whom, when, how this changed over time, its impact on culture, and more.

While very Eurocentric, this book provides amazing insights into human food uses and dietary practices from prehistory to the present. Subtleties in changing food as a reflection of economic and social change and the role of religion in food are all included. A collection of multiple articles will always have high and low points but this is a remarkable compendium.

My sister in law loved this! Great gift for any food lovers in your life.

This book covers everything. You see something and think "oh I should not that." The problem is you may end up doing that with entire chapters. It well researched and documented.

Being Italian-American and responsible for most all the cooking for my loved ones over many years, I've always been curious about the history of food and so I very much looked forward to reading this hefty tome which I discovered - and purchased - on Amazon, thanks to many glowing reviews. Unfortunately, "Food" misses the mark for me in several ways, though there are some inspired passages scattered throughout. One fatal flaw, I think, derives from the fact that each section was written by a different author and, without proper editing having been done, there is way too much repetition as each author writes unaware of what the other authors have already written. Also, there is no glossary - many unusual terms are not defined and do not appear on the web either. What's a crucharde? The only time this puzzling word appears on the world wide web is a repeat of the very puzzling passage that appears in this book! Also lacking are examples illustrating what the various authors are trying to communicate. The entire book has a flatteringly French bias - I'm okay with that but would have liked a more broad world view of food history, and a better understanding of what people did, down through the ages, at mealtime - more step by step descriptions of what people ate on a daily basis in various places all over the planet and how so many regional products and dishes became international favorites. If these are the issues that interest you, you (and I) must look elsewhere. While the book lacks what I yearned to read, I was also bogged down too often by statistics and demographics, making this text read more like a bureaucratic governmental effort rather than a labor of love by a scholarly foodie. Not mentioned anywhere is the fact that the Italians, back in the 1500s, taught the French how to cook! En garde, monsieurs!

WOW! I'm thoroughly enjoying this book. The various essays cover a range culinary topics that fulfill my interests in history, sociology, anthropology, religion, and of course food. Well written and engaging.

Very cool book!!!

Amazing, interesting and academic so very well researched. Impossible to put down if you are a fan of Food and / or History. Highly recommended and much better priced than similar Cambridge's and Oxford's Food History Books. Giving you facts and debunking a lot of "food trivia" found all over internet

Well, the front cover attracted me to this book. It is an easy and very good read. I recommend it to anyone looking for some food history.

Ein großartiges Buch für alle, die sich für kulinarische Geschichte interessieren. Ein Standardwerk! Bereitet die Geschichte des Essens von der Steinzeit bis zur Neuzeit in wissenschaftlichen Artikeln auf. Trotz wissenschaftlichen Anspruchs sind die Texte gut geschrieben und lesbar. Wer Rezepte sucht, wäre hier aber fehl am Platz. Und das Buch beschränkt sich auch auf Westeuropa. Trotzdem ein brillantes Stück Kulturgeschichte!

Very interesting book to read!!! Thank you!

An impressive string of high level and extremely readable scholarly articles on central Developments in human food culture from Antiquity to modern times. A must read.