Stuffed Signed Bookplate Edition
A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Atlantic Books
Published:2nd Nov '23
£22.00
Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£22.00(9781838955748)
'Extraordinary' Chris van Tulleken
'Fascinating' Felicity Cloake
'Irresistible' Polly Russell
In times of plenty, we stuff ourselves. When the food runs out, we're stuffed too. How have people in the British Isles shared the riches from our fields, dairies, kitchens and seas, as well as those from around the world? And when the cupboard is bare, who steps up to the plate to feed the nation's hungry children, soldiers at war or families in crisis?
Stuffed tells the stories of the food and drink at the centre of social upheavals from prehistory to the present: the medieval inns boosted by the plague; the Enclosures that finished off the celebratory roast goose; the Victorian chemist searching for unadulterated mustard; the post-war supermarkets luring customers with strawberries. Drawing on cookbooks, literature and social records, Pen Vogler reveals how these turning points have led to today's extremes of plenty and want: roast beef and food banks; allotment-fresh vegetables and ultra-processed fillers.
It is a tale of feast and famine, and of the traditions, the ideas and the laws which have fed - or starved - the nation, but also of the yeasty magic of bread and ale, the thrill of sugary treats, the pies and puddings that punctuate the year, and why the British would give anything - even North America - for a nice cup of tea.
Eating and feeding are the central projects of all human societies and Stuffed reveals that they are the very best lenses through which to understand our shared history. This is an extraordinary book about food, health and power; meticulously scholarly and extremely funny; as important as it is entertaining. Crucially it slices through the contemporary and historical politics of state versus individual responsibility: eating well is our responsibility, but it is the responsibility of the state to ensure we have that ability. And the book furnishes some ability itself with a series of recipes so that you can dine like a 17th central nobleman or a medieval peasant and feel a little more connected to the story of why we eat what we eat. Shot through with wit and humanity Stuffed is an all-consuming read. -- Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People
Thoughtful, thought-provoking and full of fascinating detail (and intriguing recipes), this is a timely reminder we should never take our food for granted. -- Felicity Cloake
Pen Vogler's Stuffed may tackle the question of hunger, but it is a generous and irresistible feast of a book. Spanning more than one thousand years of history, and focussing on 26 staple foods, Stuffed details the complex forces that determine diet, making clearer than ever that what we feed ourselves, our families and our communities is socially and politically shaped, and it always has been. -- Polly Russell
Sharp, rich and superbly readable... Vogler reveals why we eat what we do today - and it is fascinating. * Sunday Times on SCOFF *
Utterly delicious... I can't remember the last time I read a food book so interesting and so lively. * Observer on SCOFF *
This excellent history is full of fascinating facts about the food we eat. * Daily Mail on SCOFF *
A brilliant romp of a book that gets to the very heart of who we think we are, one delicious dish at a time. -- Jay Rayner on SCOFF
ISBN: 9781838955748-SB
Dimensions: 234mm x 153mm x 33mm
Weight: 695g
464 pages