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Fish on Friday
Feasting, Fasting, and the Discovery of the New World
Contributors
By Brian Fagan
Formats and Prices
- On Sale
- Aug 1, 2008
- Page Count
- 368 pages
- Publisher
- Basic Books
- ISBN-13
- 9780786722334
Price
$10.99Price
$13.99 CADFormat
Format:
- ebook $10.99 $13.99 CAD
- Trade Paperback $21.99 $28.99 CAD
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How fisherman beat Columbus to the New World, all fueled by the European appetite for fish.
“Brian Fagan weaves a detective story of Friday fish-eating.”—Jared Diamond, New York Times bestselling author of Guns, Germs, and Steel
What gave Christopher Columbus the confidence in 1492 to set out across the Atlantic Ocean? It would be convenient to believe that Columbus and his men were uniquely courageous. A more reasonable explanation, however, is that Columbus was heir to a body of knowledge about seas and ships acquired at great cost over many centuries.
Fish on Friday tells a new story of the discovery of America. In Brian Fagan’s view, that discovery is the product of the long sweep of history: the spread of Christianity and the radical cultural changes it brought to Europe, the interaction of economic necessity with a changing climate, and generations of unknown fishermen who explored the North Atlantic in the centuries before Columbus. Encompassing ancient mythology, medieval religion, boatbuilding, commerce, and cutting-edge climate science, this dazzling and wide-ranging book shows the intricate tapestry of history in all its fascinating, astonishing complexity.
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“The details Fagan gives … reveal cunning man at his cleverest, always looking for ways, no matter how small, to make his life easier and more productive.”Los Angeles Times
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“In his just-published book Fish on Friday, the respected anthropologist Brian Fagan argues that fishermen who toiled to feed this European hunger probably laid eyes on Newfoundland before Columbus.”Wall Street Journal
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“Combining history, social commentary, scientific hypothesis, and fishing and sailing lore, as well as recipes for fish dishes in the ancient style, Fagan presents a refreshing and intriguing look at the discovery of America.”Science News
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“This superbly written and illustrated history of fishing is also a cookbook. Try the Roman fish stew recipe that survived the empire's collapse.”New Scientist
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“Brian Fagan is justly renowned for his immensely readable books on the human past. Fish on Friday is by far his best.”Times Higher Education Supplement
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“Brian Fagan weaves a detective story of Friday fish-eating, climate change, and ship design to guess who beat Columbus to the New World.”Jared Diamond, New York Times bestselling author of Guns, Germs, and Steel
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“Delightful.... The author's intelligence, erudition, and sheer enthusiasm for his subject shine through on every page.”William Chester Jordan, Dayton-Stockton Professor of History, Emeritus, Princeton University
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“Enthralling history of one of our basic foods.”Anne Willan, culinary historian and founder of LaVarenne
