Wine (a Global History)

By (author) Burk, Kathleen
Short description/annotation:
The untold story of wine from the Stone Age to the present, stunningly presented.
Description:
''Capaciously informative and endlessly entertaining'' Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest Is History In the beginning, there was the vine. Wine: a drink, a medicine, a ritual and a commodity. Across millennia, it has been used to celebrate and commiserate, as a negotiating tool and a diplomatic gift. But where - and when - was it first discovered? And how did it become a worldwide phenomenon? From the planting of grape seeds in conquered territories across Ancient Rome, to the uprooting of vineyards during the Chinese Communist Revolution, this is the first truly global survey of wine from acclaimed historian Kathleen Burk. From a symbol of civilisation to the depths of debauchery, the formation of new trade routes to the consolidation of empires, Burk traces the story of our contemporary civilisation through one of the world''s most ancient - and sought-after - pleasures.
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Capaciously informative and endlessly entertaining
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A formidable work of scholarship, squelching eight thousand years of wine into a veritable Beaujolais of a book ... Lucid and inspiring. Each page fizzes with revelations. I was astonished and enthralled at every turn
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Erudite and intoxicating, Kathleen Burk''s globe-spanning journey through wine history reminds us how deeply every glass is rooted in humanity''s past
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Excellent ... It''s fantastic
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A thorough, globetrotting biography of the beverage that has inspired, intoxicated, and entranced us for more than eight millennia. From Chinese poets to Benjamin Franklin, The Odyssey to the Qu''ran, Burk traces its evolution across time and place to explore its enduring appeal. A journey sure to enchant any oenophile.
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Kathleen Burk''s epic work takes you on a fascinating journey from the earliest episodes of Neolithic drunkenness to the sober-curiousness of the 2020s
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Praise for Old World, New World: Immensely thought-provoking [and] lucid
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An ambitious narrative... lucidly narrated and generous
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Balanced, intelligent, insightful and funny
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A detailed, compendious history that''s rich in wine trivia
Biographical note:
Kathleen Burk is Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London. She has written on wine for more than 20 years and has been awarded a Diploma in Wine and Spirits. She is the co-author of Is This Bottle Corked?, as well as numerous works of history including The Lion and the Eagle and Old World, New World.
Promotional headline:
The untold story of wine, from the Stone Age to the present