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4-1-2009

An edible history of history, by Tom Standage (book review) An edible history of history, by Tom Standage (book review)

Kathleen McCallister William & Mary, krmccallister@wm.edu

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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation McCallister, Kathleen, An edible history of history, by Tom Standage (book review) (2009). Library Journal, 134(6), 86. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/librariespubs/81

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radical Republicans. He breaks withthose historians who have suggested thatJohnson followed what would have beenLincoln's path to reconstruct the South,as he discusses the complex impeachmentproceedings against Johnson and the et-fectiveness of the impeachment processm calming political tensions, if not in re-moving Presidents from office. Readerswho wish to broaden their understandingof Lincoln in this anniversary year will dowell to select this well-researched workeven if their collection already includessuch examinations as Howard Mean'snarrower The Avenger Takes His Place: An-drew Johnson and the 45 Days That Changedilif \;if(i'fI.—Theresa McDevitt, Indiana Univ. ofPennsylvania Lib.

The Indonesia Reader: History, Ctiltiire,Politics. Duke Univ. (The World Readers).Apr. 2009. c,536p. ed. by Tineke Heilwig &Eric Tagliacozzo. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-8223-4403-2. $94.95; pap. ISBN 978-0-8223-4424-7. $25.95. HISTEditors Heliwig {Asian studies, Univ. ofBritish Columbia; In the Shadow of Change:Images of Women in Indonesian Literature)and Tagliacozzo (history & Asian studies,Cornell Univ.; Secret Trades, Porous Borders:Smuggling and States Along a Southeast AsianFrontier. 1865-1915) here introduce theunderstudied nation of Indonesia. Read-ing their book is like exploring an eclectic,brightly colored museum—and leavingwith a multifaceted understanding of onenation's history and cultures. The bookis chronologically organized into ten sec-tions, each beginning with an introduc-tion by the editors and then providingten to 12 engaging pieces relating to thetime period. The primary sources includedhere are the book's gems; they range fromfifth-century stont- pillars and writings bytravelers throughout many centuries tofiction, newspaper articles, manifestos, andmore in the 20th and 21st centuries. Un-fortunately, there are a couple of minordrawbacks. Fint, the introductions do notalways provide background on the appli-cable author's affiliations. Second, bothIndonesian words and social science termsneed definitions. Finally, future versions ofthis book would benefit from suggestionsfor additional reading. Recommended forail students of Asian studies.—Karen Sobel,Univ. of Denver üb.

Jonnes, Jill. Eiffel's Tower. Viking. May2009. c.347p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-670-02060-7. $27.95. HISTWich the \HW World's Fair fast approach-ing, the French wanted a grand monu-ment built to represent the greatness of

their republic. The fair's commissionerchose Gustave Eiffel's design for a 1000'tower, but opposition and monetary con-siderations threatened to prevent the tow-er's completion in time for the openingday. In addition to a detailed account ofthe building of the tower, Jonnes {Con-quering Cotliam: Building Penn Station and¡ts Tunnels) provides mini-biographies ofseveral notable people of the time, includ-ing Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, ThomasEdison, and Vincent van Gogh, whilevividly detailing the visits of renownedpersonages to the fairgrounds, dissatisfac-tion among the exhibiting artists, the at-tractions and people involved in the 228-acre fair, and sites in other parts of Paris.Much of the book takes readers awayfrom the World's Fair and thus the mainfocus, but these diversions help clarifythe historical context. Recommended forstudents and informed lay readers.—DonnaShuman, Westerville P.L., OH

Kelly, Christopher. The End of Empire: Attilathe Hun and the Fall of Rome. Norton. Jun.2009. c.320p. illus. maps, bihiiog. index.ISBN 978-0-393-06196-3. $26.95. HISTKelly (ancient history, Univ. of Cam-bridge; The Roman Empire: A Very ShortIntroduction) paints an engaging portrait ofAttila the Hun's rise to prominence andplaces the feared warlord in the contextof his own time. The title is somethingof a misnomer, as Kelly writes of Attila'sability to build his own empire as well ashis significant part in the destruction ofRome's empire. As the author explains,Attila was aware that it was not in his bestinterest to hasten the decline of the Ro-man Empire because much of his controlover his own people and lands was paidfor with Roman gold that he receivedthrough bribes and raids. Kelly's well-written narrative is founded on exten-sive research, and he provides informativenotes as well as suggestions for furtherreading. Recommended as an excellentaddition to libraries with collections inancient history, Roman history, Europeanhistory, or classical studies.—Crystal Goldman,Univ. of Utah Lib., Salt Lake City

Morgan, Edmund S. American Heroes:Profiles of Men and Women Who ShapedEarly America. Norton. May 2009. c.352p.index. ISBN 978-0-393-07010-1. $27.95.HIST

This book is a perfect gem. None of the 17essays here has been published previouslyin book form, and three of them appearhere for the first time. Morgan (SterlingProfessor Emeritus, Yale; Inventing the Peo-ple), the winner of just about every ma-

jor book award, including the Pulitzer,ranges from Christopher Columbus, tothe Puritans and sex (which they liked,providing it was in marriage), WilliamPenn. the Anti-Federalists, and historianPerry Miller. Two characteristics that tiethe essays together are Morgan's penchantfor taking contrarian views of acceptedorthodoxies and his admiration for indi-viduals who stood up against authority.His piece on the development of Yale'slibrary in the 18th century demonstratesthat books arc valuable because they keepalive the memory of dissident voices thatotherwise might be drowned out by of-ficial, hagiographical versions of a nation'spast. His chapter on George Washingtonand Benjamin Franklin points out that oneof the traits that made them great was theirability to say "no" when popular opinionwanted them to act in one way or another.Both specialists and general readers willfind this book both authoritative and funro read. Highly recommended.—Thomas J.Schaeper, St, Bonaventure Univ., NY

Raphael, Ray. Founders: The People WhoBrought You a Nation. New Pr., dist. byNorton. May 2009. c.608p. illus. maps,index. ISBN 978-1-59558-327-7. $35. HISTRaphael {A People's History of the AmericanRevolution, Founding Myths) again attemptsto give credit to patriots whose contri-butions to the nation's founding are notcelebrated or even widely known. Stars ofthis entertaining yet informative accountinclude military bankroUer Robert Mor-ris, conservative politician and reluctantrebel Henry Laurens, blacksmith-turned-insurgent Timothy Bigelow, young andeager soldier Joseph Plumb Martin, rabble-rousing country doctor Thomas Young,and Puritan poet-turned-political com-mentator and historian Mercy Otis War-ren. The final key player in this narrativeis George Washington, and Raphael man-ages to put a fresh spin on his overly famil-iar story. The author relies heavily on pri-mary sources, especially diaries, letters, andMartin's and Warren's published works, tocraft a highly readable work of popularhistory that is sure to be a hit among read-ers who prefer to look at history from abottom-up perspective. A worthy comple-ment to Raphael's previous works, this isrecommended for American history col-lections in all public libraries.—Douglas King,Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Standage, Tom. An Edihle History ofHumanity. Walker. May 2009. c.304p. illus.index. ISBN 978-0-8027-1588-3. $26. HIST

AHTHRQ

Standage's previous book, A History of

86 I LIBRARYJOURNAL | APRIL 1,2009

the World in 6 Glasses, theorized that thetitular six drinks were reflections oftheeras in which they were created. In thisnew work, he instead shows how oneof humanity's most vital needs (hunger)didn't simply reflect but served as thedriving force behind transformative andkey events in history. Dividing the vastsubject into six general sections {such asfood's role in the development of societ-ies and social hierarchies, its impact onpopulation and industrialization, and itsuses as a weapon both on the battlefieldand off). Standage illustrates each sec-tion with historical examples and obser-vations. Some topics, like the spice trade'sencouragement of exploration, are fairlyobvious choices, but the concise style andinclusion of little-known details keep thematerial both entertaining and enlighten-ing. Perhaps the most interesting sectionis the fmal one, which looks at the waysin which modern agricultural needs haveacted as a spur for technological advance-ment, with Standage providing a sum-mary ofthe challenges still faced by thegreen revolution. Recommended for bothpublic and academic libraries.—KathleenMcCallister, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Sugarman, Tracy. We Had Sneakers, TheyHad Guns: The Kibs Who Fought For CivilRights in Mississippi. Syracuse Univ. Apr.2009. c.320p. illus. ISBN 978-0-8156-0938-4. $34.95. HIST

Sugarman (Stranger at the Gates: A Sum-mer in Mississippi), a participant in Free-dom Summer in Mississippi in 1964-65,where the Student Nonviolent Coordi-nating Committee (SNCC) worked forvoter registration efforts and communityorganizing, writes an introspective mem-oir complete with many of his originalillustrations composed that summer. ForSugarman, there are no easy answers tothe intricacies shown in movement or-ganizing, state-sanctioned violence, andpassionate discourse with the white es-tablishment. This account of FreedomSummer is significant by virtue of theinsights into the lives ofthe youth oftheCivil Rights Movement. Many blacks inMississippi had never worked closely withwhites; for students of the North, whohad been so isolated from the terror ofthe South, Freedom Summer representeda fascinating experiment. Many, such asFannie Lou Hamer, depicted by Sugar-man, gave their lives so that all citizensw^ould have the right to vote. This book isa testament to the courageous civil rightsworkers whose perseverance and couragewill inspire all readers.—Jim Hahn, Univ. ofIllinois Lib., Urbana

Swallow, Betty & Helen Bradley. Dear Helen:Wartime Letters from a Londoner to HerAmerican Pen Pal. Univ. of Missouri. Apr.2009. c.264p. ed. by Russell M. Jones &John H. Swanson. photogs. ISBN 978-0-8262-1850-6. $34.95. HISTA shared interest in movies brought BettySwallow of London and Helen Bradley ofKansas City, MO, together as correspon-dents (they met through writing to Pic-ture Play magazine), from 1938 throughWorld War II and until 1950. This vol-ume presents faithful transcriptions ofBetty's letters to Helen, which are nowin the collections of Westminster Collegein Fulton, MO. Betty writes with verve,wit, and strong opinions about her work,family, politics, fears, frustrations, leisure-time pursuits, and her abiding love forvarious stage and screen stars, especiallyJohn Gielgud. Her letters are detailed yetconversational; for example, during theBlitz she might describe the terrible airraid the night before but also ask Helen tosend a particular movie magazine to boostmorale. Betty's writings become not justa portrait of herself, including her strongand disturbing anti-Semitism, but of Lon-don life at an extraordinary time. Thereare a few distracting editorial mistakes,including a failure to understand Britishslang, but the footnotes about personali-ties and films no longer popular are help-ful. Specialists and genera! readers willboth appreciate this book.—Megan HabnFraser. UCLA Lib.

WeJss, Elaine F. Fruits of Victory: TheWoman's Land Army of America in theGreat War. Potomac. 2008. c.400p.photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59797-273-4. $29.95. HISTWeiss, who has written for such publica-tions as the Neil' York Times and Harper's,chronicles the largely forgotten historyof the Woman's Land Army (WLA), agroup of women in the United Stateswho left their homes and college dormsin droves to volunteer when Americaninvolvement in World War I called youngmen from the fields to the trenches ofEurope. Weiss shows how these "farmer-ettes" faced an uphill battle, as they wereoften met with disdain by shorthandedfarmers and Washington politicians whodid not feel the situation was dire enoughto warrant hiring women to do men'swork. WLA architects, many of whomearned their stripes in the suffrage move-ment, developed a blueprint for managinga group anywhere in the United States,and they were able to secure wages—andan eight-hour workday—equal to theirmale counterparts. The group was dis-

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