The History and Social Influence of the Potato.

Description:

xxiv 685p large heavy hardback, navy cloth with gilt lettering to spine, sky-blue jacket with spine sunned, a little light wear to jacket edges and surfaces, one or two light marks to edges, endpapers clean, pages neat and bright, free from highlighting and annotation, an excellent copy of an uncommon volume Language: English Weight (g): 982. Seller Inventory # 235280

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Synopsis: First published in 1949, this remarkable book is the culmination of a life-long study of every aspect of the potato. Dr Salaman is concerned first with the history of the potato as a member of the botanical genus Solanum, its adaptation by man as a cultivated plant, and the record of its spread throughout the world; secondly he considers the influence the potato has exerted upon the social structure and economy of different peoples at different times. The archaeological and anthropological evidence for the early significance of the potato among the peoples of Latin America is discussed in detail with numerous illustrations, but the central portion of the book is concerned with the European, and particularly the Irish evidence. Naturally the Great Hunger is the most dramatic single episode in the entire work, and Dr Salaman does full justice to his tragic theme, concluding with the observation that in Ireland 'the potato ended in wrecking both exploited and exploiter'. Elegantly written, with numerous vivid anecdotes, Salaman's History has long enjoyed the status of a classic. This revised impression, with a new introduction and emendations by Professor J. G. Hawkes, enables another generation of readers to sample what Eric Hobsbawm has referred to as 'that magnificent monument of scholarship and humanity'.

Book Description: A reissue of a scholarly classic considers the influence of the potato on the social structure and economy throughout history wherever men adopted it as a mainstay of their diets.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The History and Social Influence of the ...
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication Date: 1970
Binding: Hardback
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
Edition: 2nd Edition