The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
"Part treatise, part miscellany, unfailingly entertaining."
-The New York Times
"A small pearl of a book . . . a great tale of the growth of a modern city as seen through the rise and fall of the lowly oyster."
-Rocky Mountain News
Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky tells the remarkable story of New York by following the trajectory of one of its most fascinating inhabitants-the oyster.
For centuries New York was famous for this particular shellfish, which until the early 1900s played such a dominant a role in the city's life that the abundant bivalves were Gotham's most celebrated export, a staple food for all classes, and a natural filtration system for the city's congested waterways.
Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight-along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos-this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the seventeenth-century founding of New York to the death of its oyster beds and the rise of America's environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the rough-and-tumble Five Points slums to Manhattan's Gilded Age dining chambers. With The Big Oyster, Mark Kurlansky serves up history at its most engrossing, entertaining, and delicious.
"Suffused with Kurlansky's] pleasure in exploring the city across ground that hasn't already been covered with other writers' footprints."
-Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Fascinating stuff . . . Kurlansky] has a keen eye for odd facts and natural detail."
-The Wall Street Journal
"Kurlansky packs his breezy book with terrific anecdotes."
-Entertainment Weekly
"Magnificent . . . a towering accomplishment."
-Associated Press
9780345476395
Book, Paperback
The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
- Author: Mark Kurlansky
307
English
8.0 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches, 0.5 pounds
| Acceptable: | Fairly worn but fully readable and intact. Pages may include notes, highlighting, or minor water damage. Dust jacket, CDs, product codes, or other inclusions may be missing or expired. |
| Good: | Shows signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes or highlighting. Dust jacket, CDs, product codes, or other inclusions may be missing or expired. |
| Very Good: | Item has seen limited use and has minimal signs of wear. Pages are clean without markings. Dust jacket, CDs, product codes, or other inclusions may be missing or expired. |
| Like New: | Shows little to no signs of wear. Spine has no signs of creasing. Pages are clean without markings. CDs, product codes, or other inclusions may be missing or expired. |
| New: | Brand new, unused, and in perfect condition. Includes all original packaging and accessories. |