The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell Contributor(s): Kurlansky, Mark (Author) |
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ISBN: 0345476395 ISBN-13: 9780345476395 Publisher: Random House Trade OUR PRICE: $16.20 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: January 2007 Annotation: "Part treatise, part miscellany, unfailingly entertaining." "-The New York Times" "A small pearl of a book . . . a great tale of the growth of a modern city as seen through the rise and fall of the lowly oyster." "-Rocky Mountain News" Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky tells the remarkable story of New York by following the trajectory of one of its most fascinating inhabitants-the oyster. For centuries New York was famous for this particular shellfish, which until the early 1900s played such a dominant a role in the city's life that the abundant bivalves were Gotham's most celebrated export, a staple food for all classes, and a natural filtration system for the city's congested waterways. Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight-along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos-this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the seventeenth-century founding of New York to the death of its oyster beds and the rise of America's environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the rough-and-tumble Five Points slums to Manhattan's Gilded Age dining chambers. With "The Big Oyster," Mark Kurlansky serves up history at its most engrossing, entertaining, and delicious. "Suffused with [Kurlansky's] pleasure in exploring the city across ground that hasn't already been covered with other writers' footprints." -"Los Angeles Times Book Review" "Fascinating stuff . . . [Kurlansky] has a keen eye for odd facts and natural detail." -"The Wall Street Journal" "Kurlansky packs his breezy book with terrific anecdotes." -"Entertainment Weekly" "Magnificent . . . a towering accomplishment." -"Associated Press " |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | United States - State & Local - Middle Atlantic (dc, De, Md, Nj, Ny, Pa) - History | Social History - Cooking | Specific Ingredients - Seafood |
Dewey: 641.694 |
Lexile Measure: 1300 |
Physical Information: 0.9" H x 5.1" W x 7.9" (0.55 lbs) 336 pages |
Themes: - Cultural Region - Mid-Atlantic - Cultural Region - Northeast U.S. - Geographic Orientation - New York - Locality - New York, N.Y. |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: "Part treatise, part miscellany, unfailingly entertaining." -The New York Times "A small pearl of a book . . . a great tale of the growth of a modern city as seen through the rise and fall of the lowly oyster." -Rocky Mountain News Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky tells the remarkable story of New York by following the trajectory of one of its most fascinating inhabitants-the oyster. For centuries New York was famous for this particular shellfish, which until the early 1900s played such a dominant a role in the city's life that the abundant bivalves were Gotham's most celebrated export, a staple food for all classes, and a natural filtration system for the city's congested waterways. Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight-along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos-this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the seventeenth-century founding of New York to the death of its oyster beds and the rise of America's environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the rough-and-tumble Five Points slums to Manhattan's Gilded Age dining chambers. With The Big Oyster, Mark Kurlansky serves up history at its most engrossing, entertaining, and delicious. "Suffused with Kurlansky's] pleasure in exploring the city across ground that hasn't already been covered with other writers' footprints." -Los Angeles Times Book Review "Fascinating stuff . . . Kurlansky] has a keen eye for odd facts and natural detail." -The Wall Street Journal "Kurlansky packs his breezy book with terrific anecdotes." -Entertainment Weekly "Magnificent . . . a towering accomplishment." -Associated Press |