| Description |
xv, 304 pages : maps ; 19 cm |
| Contents |
1. Treasure of the Andes: Peru and Europe, 1550-1650 -- 2. The Solace of Miserable Mortals: Ireland, 1650-1800 -- 3. The Better Sort of People: England, 1650-1800 -- 4. Vive la pomme de terre: France, 1650-1800 -- 5. The Democratic Table: The Thirteen Colonies, 1685-1800 -- 6. He Would Rather Be Hanged: England, 1800-1900 -- 7. A Fortress Besieged: Ireland, 1800-45 -- 8. A Passion for Thrift: France, 1800-1914 -- 9. The Lumpers They Were Black: The Great Famine in Ireland, 1845-49 -- 10. Potatoes and Population: Runaway Growth in England and Ireland -- 11. Women's Work: The United States, 1800-1914 -- 12. The Good Companions: England's Fish and Chips -- 13. Good Breeding: Conclusion |
| Summary |
From the peasants who dug it out of the earth to the scientists who speculated about its aphrodisiac qualities, from the politicians who gerrymandered land rights to the impoverished children whose lives it saved, Larry Zuckerman takes the reader on an engrossing journey through four centuries from the vantage point of the potato. He captures the drama of everyday existence in a world undergoing a dazzling transformation at an urgent pace. Drawing from personal diaries, chronicles, newspaper editorials, government records, and many other original sources, he brings this epic to life, creating both vibrant individual portraits and a panorama of the times |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 295-304) |
| Subject |
Plants and history.
|
|
Potatoes -- History.
|
|
Potatoes -- Social aspects.
|
| LC no. |
97049107 |
| ISBN |
0571199518 (cloth) |
|
