English Food

A People’s History

Diane Purkiss

$59.99

Hardback

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English

William Collins
15 May 2023

Social & cultural history; Food & society

In this remarkable and original book, Dianne Purkiss invites readers on a journey in which major historical events – wars, social uprisings, the acquisition and loss of colonies – are entwined with the very food we eat.

Food. We all eat it, we all need it and none of us can survive for long without it. It binds humankind across the globe today, and also unites us to our ancestors who, too, formed a part of this common human struggle. And yet, the impact of food on history, and history on food, has long been neglected.

In her compelling new book, Diane Purkiss, the author of 'The English Civil War' traces the foods from our meals to their historical sources – from bacon and eggs at breakfast to chicken vindaloo for dinner.

She explores the development of the coffee trade and the birth of London's coffee houses, where views were exchanged on politics, art and literature. She introduces the first breeders of British beef, and reveals how cattle triggered the terrible massacre at Glencoe, where the Macdonalds were attacked by the Campbells. She takes us for tea, visiting the town bakery, the pantry and the bee hive, and to the very first ice houses, from where we witness the rise of commercial English ice-cream.

When we return to the table, our meals will never be the same again.

By: Diane Purkiss
Imprint: William Collins
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 159mm, Spine: 46mm
Weight: 890g
ISBN: 9780007255566
ISBN 10: 000725556X
Pages: 560
Publication Date: 15 May 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Diane Purkiss is fellow and tutor at Keble College, Oxford. She was formerly Professor of English at Exeter University. She is the author of the highly acclaimed The Witch in History and Troublesome Things: A History of Fairies and Fairy Stories. She is currently working on a history of British food to be published in 2009.

Reviews for English Food: A People’s History

Praise for English Food : 'An absolute gem... English Food is a fabulous read. I devoured it with gusto... My review copy will find a permanent place on my bookshelves... a richly entertaining and enlightening social history of England... Superb' Sunday Times, Christopher Hart 'Every page brings astonishing revelation... acerbic, witty, opinionated and devoid of pomposity... This book is about food, but it's more importantly about how food defines us' The Times, Gerald DeGroot 'A mouthwatering history... A sumptuous survey of English cuisine leaves no morsel untasted... liberally seasoned throughout with literary references, from Anglo-Saxon poetry to Michael Ondaatje... fascinating... There's an awful lot of good stuff to get your teeth into here' The Guardian, Felicity Cloake 'What a delectable banquet of a book this is... This magnificently readable and engaging book (which is also very generously illustrated) sets the record straight and should whet appetites for the attentive, seasonal cooking and gamier flavours of the past' Literary Review '[A] fantastic book' Evening Standard