
Lobster
A Global History
Elisabeth Townsend(Author)
Reaktion Books (Publisher)
Published on 1. May 2011
Book
Hardback
144 pages
978-1-86189-794-7 (ISBN)
Description
From pauper's food to cultural icon, this book tells the story of our relationship with the lobster, from coastal hunter-gatherers through the Industrial Revolution to modern times. As lobsters became a status symbol for the rich, they became the subjects of both artists and writers. The lobster has been depicted in Egyptian temples and Pompeiian feasts; Dutch still lifes and Japanese woodcuts; Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Salvador Dali's Lobster Telephone. And the social history of its consumption takes us from the Stone Age, through the early European settlers in New England and Australia, to today's Japanese live lobster sashimi.
The lobster has been transformed from a peasant food into a luxurious delicacy that reflects our changing ideas about diet and human consumption. Today's consumer is concerned about the ethics of eating lobster, and controversy rages about methods of killing them. Though scientists continue to debate whether lobsters can feel pain, concerns about cruelty have led to the invention of new machines that are intended to kill them humanely. There are also efforts to farm lobsters, to re-stock the seas with juveniles and to fish them sustainably.
Lobster will appeal to anyone who loves this fascinating crustacean, or who has chased a lobster across a kitchen floor.
The lobster has been transformed from a peasant food into a luxurious delicacy that reflects our changing ideas about diet and human consumption. Today's consumer is concerned about the ethics of eating lobster, and controversy rages about methods of killing them. Though scientists continue to debate whether lobsters can feel pain, concerns about cruelty have led to the invention of new machines that are intended to kill them humanely. There are also efforts to farm lobsters, to re-stock the seas with juveniles and to fish them sustainably.
Lobster will appeal to anyone who loves this fascinating crustacean, or who has chased a lobster across a kitchen floor.
Reviews / Votes
Elisabeth Townsend considers the creature that inspired mosaic artists in ancient Pompeii, reclined like a cardinal in still life paintings, gave Salvador Dali a telephone handle, fed the indigent poor and later the spoiled rich and became a partial success in shellfish farming . . . Reading its 128 pages inclusive of recipes will leave almost anyone considerably more clued up about lobsters than they were before. * Fay Maschler, <i>The Spectator</i> * Elisabeth Townsends concise but rich Lobster: A Global History offers a journey through lobsters prehistoric and recorded history, exploring scientific, environmental and culinary matters . . . She also does an outstanding job of documenting and explaining the modern controversy over the treatment of lobster. * Jasper White, <i>Wall Street Journal</i> * a frothy confection of lobster history, lore, and art, with an emphasis on cooking and consuming the crustaceans. There are plenty of entertaining moments . . . You could certainly pick up a tidbit or two from this jam-packed little book to enliven your next lobster dinner conversation. * <i>Gastronomica</i> *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
49 illustrations, 40 in colour
Dimensions
Height: 212 mm
Width: 134 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
330 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-86189-794-7 (9781861897947)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
01/2012
1st Edition
Reaktion Books
€11.99
Available for download
Person
Elisabeth Townsend writes about food, travel and wine for The Boston Globe, Gastronomica, the Quarterly Review of Wines and other newspapers and magazines. She is based in Concord, Massachusetts.