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Book Cover for: Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food

Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

A brilliant account from acclaimed food historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto on the fascinating story of food as culture, culinary history, and the eight great revolutions in the history of food--perfect for fans of Tasting History.

In this "appetizingly provocative" (Los Angeles Times) book, food historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto guides readers through the eight great revolutions in the world history of food: the origins of cooking, which set humankind on a course apart from other species; the ritualization of eating, which brought magic and meaning into people's relationship with what they ate; the inception of herding and the invention of agriculture, perhaps the two greatest revolutions of all; the rise of inequality, which led to the development of haute cuisine; the long-range trade in food which, practically alone, broke down cultural barriers; the ecological exchanges, which revolutionized the global distribution of plants and livestock; and, finally, the industrialization and globalization of mass-produced food.

From prehistoric snail "herding" to Roman banquets to Big Macs to genetically modified tomatoes, Near a Thousand Tables is a full-course meal of extraordinary narrative, brilliant insight, and fascinating explorations that will satisfy the hungriest of readers.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Free Press
  • Publish Date: Sep 2nd, 2003
  • Pages: 272
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.42in - 5.70in - 0.68in - 0.56lb
  • EAN: 9780743227407
  • Categories: HistoryGeneral

About the Author

Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe: - Felipe Fernández-Armesto is a professorial fellow of Queen Mary, University of London, and a member of the modern history faculty at Oxford University. He is the author of numerous books, including Millenium: A History of the Last Thousand Years and Civilizations: Culture, Ambition, and the Transformation of Nature.

Praise for this book

Rob Morse San Francisco Chronicle Fernández-Armesto picks apart the myths of food history with the delectation of a connoisseur picking apart a lobster.
Betty Fussell The New York Times Book Review Fernández-Armesto brings a humanity, civility, and excitement to serious food writing that may not have been seen since Brillat-Savarin.
The New York Times Highly provocative and entertaining...an erudite and surprising book with many eye-opening pleasures.