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A History of English Food

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A History of English Food

By: Clarissa Dickson Wright
Narrated by: Clarissa Dickson Wright
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About this listen

In this major new history of English food, Clarissa Dickson Wright takes the reader on a journey from the time of the Second Crusade and the feasts of medieval kings to the cuisine - both good and bad - of the present day.

She looks at the shifting influences on the national diet as new ideas and ingredients have arrived, and as immigrant communities have made their contribution to the life of the country. She evokes lost worlds of open fires and ice houses, of constant pickling and preserving, and of manchet loaves and curly-coated pigs. And she tells the stories of the chefs, cookery book writers, gourmets, and gluttons who have shaped public taste, from the salad-loving Catherine of Aragon to the foodies of today.

Above all, she gives a vivid sense of what it was like to sit down to the meals of previous ages, whether an 18th-century labourer's breakfast or a 12-course Victorian banquet or a lunch out during the Second World War. Insightful and entertaining by turns, this is a magnificent tour of nearly 1,000 years of English cuisine, peppered with surprises and seasoned with Clarissa Dickson Wright's characteristic wit.

©2011 Clarissa Dickson Wright (P)2012 Random House AudioGo Cooking Europe Food & Wine Gastronomy Middle Ages

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Critic reviews

"one of the most entertaining and fascinating audiobooks that I have ever heard." ( Christina Hardyment, The Times)
"A rambling socio-gastronomic history leavened with humour and eccentricity." ( Sunday Telegraph)
“deliciously rich and moreish” ( Independent on Sunday )
"From the medieval larder stocked with rabbit and eggs to modern cuisine, Clarissa Dickson Wright combines her two great passions of food and history to trace the development of the English diet over the centuries." ( Scottish Sunday Express)
"Surely destined for classic status" ( Independent)
"Make no bones about it, this is an amazing book…. It’s a book that compels you to constantly read aloud tidbits to whoever is unlucky enough to be in the same room." ( BBC Countryfile magazine)
All stars
Most relevant  
Clarissa is a knowledgeable, articulate and entertaining guide to our culinary history. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, just wish it was a demonstration with opportunities for tasting some of the dishes!

Tasty

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I listened to this wonderful history of food and found myself captivated by Clarissa 's knowledge and wealth of details wrapped up in a passion for all things food and delivered with humour and wit. I will listen to it again and again I know I will find something new in each listen. A great book and a great cook! Fabulous and thank you..

Phew! What a knowledge and passion for food

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I really enjoyed this and have listened to it several times - there is so much interesting information that you gain something new each time. It gives you a real sense of time and place with intriguing insights into the ways and attitudes of the English through the unusual perspective of food and eating habits.



I like having an author doing their own narrating and Clarissa is very easy to listen to with the same mix of practical common sense and humour that we encounter with her cooking programmes. I hope it prompts a TV series.

Highly Recommended

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very well researched, written and read by the author. a nice social history book without the unpleasantness so common to history! a good cosy listen.

entertaining history of Britain through food

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Would you consider the audio edition of A History of English Food to be better than the print version?

I really enjoyed this book, especially the reading of it. It was fascinating and full of snippets of information I have never heard before. Ms Dickson-Wright hit just the right balance of info and fun without it being boring. I would thoroughly recommend it.

Absolutely Fascinating!

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A very interesting book with lots of great stories, I have just finished it and have started listening to it again.
I really like Clarissa's books and love to hear her reading them.

Loved It

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This is not a genre I would normally go for, however, I can honestly say I have thoroughly enjoyed this listen. Clarissa gives her straightforward, highly knowledgeable, chronological account of the history of English food. It may sound like a 'dry' topic for a good entertaining listen but it's actually full of interesting little snippets of knowledge. It's something I will listen to over again.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

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This ranks as one of my favourite books on food, combining social history with a dry humour and a deliciously and deliberately biased viewpoint. I was an artisan food producer for years, so Clarissa Dixon Wright has long been a heroine of mine. This is a classic.

Essential for food lovers

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Everything about this audiobook is fantastic. It's full of interesting information which is well narrated and extremely funny.

Brilliant from beginning to end

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So enjoyed this book. Loads of information about food loved l istening to the menus.

Really entertaining

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