Midwest Maize

Reviews / Votes

"[A] charming, engrossing book."--Chicago Sun Times "Clampitt's research and reportage sustains the book, providing readers with a unique look at an adaptable plant that does so much for so many, providing not only food but myriad other resources that most of us take for granted."--Chicago Book Review
"Clampitt's book is filled with kernels of interest that can stop you in the middle of a cob's row."--Cleveland Plain-Dealer
"A comprehensive, clear-eyed view of the plant that made America what it is today."
--Betty Fussell, author of The Story of Corn


"Corn is inextricably linked to Midwestern history, and Clampitt tells the incredible tale well. Midwest Maize is carefully researched, insightful and delightful to read."
--Andrew F. Smith, author of Eating History "Where others have focused on maize in its heartland or maize as a food crop, Clampitt presents an environmental history of corn's role in the development of the Midwest. Filled with interesting factoids."--Plant Science Bulletin
"The author covers an extraordinary range of topics. . . . Midwest Maize is an excellent introduction for those wishing to learn more about the history of and current issues surrounding this high-profile cereal grass. Recommended."--Choice "Food historian Cynthia Clampitt explores the astounding story of how corn developed from a humble grain into one of the greatest achievements in history. This is a likeable, deeply-researched book that deftly covers a great deal of territory for its size. . . . The serious stuff is balanced, too, with sections on popcorn, corn festivals, corn cuisine and more."--Edible Madison "A controversial vegetable (or is it a grain?), corn has been alternately celebrated and excoriated in America. Food historian Cynthia Clampitt jumps into the fray with Midwest Maize. . . . Take a bite."--Los Angeles Magazine

"Midwest Maize deserves praise for its comprehensive treatment and readability. Everyone, amateur or professional, with an interest in corn should read Midwest Maize.--The Annals of Iowa

"A fascinating overview of the creation of the Corn Belt and its influence on the nation's history."--Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society

"This highly readable survey of the history of one of the world's most important foods is packed with information. . . Midwest Maize is a useful source for anyone seeking to understand the importance of this grain in American history and especially the Midwest."--Ohio Valley History

"An excellent resource for anyone interested in the Midwest."--Great Plains Research

"A comprehensive, clear-eyed view of the plant that made America what it is today. The author's focus on the Midwest provides both a fresh look and a splendid overview of the importance of this central region, not only in building our nation but also in establishing our place in the world's agriculture and economy."--Betty Fussell, author of The Story of Corn

"Cynthia Clampitt tells the lively saga of maize's rise from obscure origins in Mesoamerica to the Midwest's--and America's--most significant crop. It is consumed in seemingly unending ways, from straight off the cob to ingredients in thousands of processed foods. It is the main ingredient in animal feed and it is even converted into the ethanol that powers our cars. Corn is inextricably linked to Midwestern history, and Clampitt tells the incredible tale well. Midwest Maize is carefully researched, insightful and delightful to read."--Andrew F. Smith, author of Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American History

"Readers will not want to miss a single detail of this modest grain's story as it rises from a simple foodstuff for Native Americans found here by the early settlers, to one of the most important farm products of today's century. Brava. This superb book, clearly a work of enormous curiosity and passion, is truly a job very well done!"--Linda and Fred Griffith, authors of Onions, Onions, Onions, winner of the James Beard Award

"Cynthia Clampitt has given us a richly detailed cultural history of corn, from its origins in Mexico to the mega-crop that is planted on millions of acres of Midwestern land today. She also provides a balanced discussion of corn's role in providing both food and fuel in the years to come. This book is a must-read for anyone following the debates over food, land use, and healthy environments in today's world."--John C. Hudson, author of Making the Corn Belt

"This book contributes to scholarship in foodways through its careful 'biography' of a single crop and also by demonstrating how technology, geographic features, settlement history, economics, and politics both shape and are shaped by food culture. . . . It makes an excellent point that corn in the Midwest provides a microcosm for understanding the impact of the choices we make as well as offering possible solutions."--Lucy M. Long, author of Regional American Food Culture