Books › COD; A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FISH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
COD; A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FISH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
First published 1997 · 304 pages
A salty, globe-trotting microhistory that reveals how a single, unassuming fish shaped empires, diets, and the modern world.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting in a cozy, salt-sprayed tavern listening to a master storyteller spin a yarn that spans a thousand years. It moves at a brisk, engaging clip, transforming an ordinary fish into the hidden protagonist of global history. The prose is crisp and journalistic, effortlessly blending maritime adventure, culinary trivia, and economic shifts into a cohesive, fascinating narrative. While the mood begins with a sense of wonder at human ingenuity and the vastness of the oceans, it gradually shifts into a sobering, melancholic reflection on ecological hubris and the devastating consequences of overfishing. It is a perfect read for curious minds who love seeing the grand sweep of civilization through a surprisingly narrow, deeply illuminating lens.
- Mood
- maritime
- salty
- nostalgic
- sobering
- Tone
- informative
- engaging
- wry
- accessible
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- hidden drivers of history · human ingenuity and greed · ecological consequences · interconnectedness of civilization
- The writing
- Crisp, journalistic, and anecdotal, weaving historical facts with culinary trivia seamlessly.
- The arc
- Begins with a sense of wonder at human discovery and culinary history, transitioning into a sobering reflection on ecological devastation and loss.
- Who it's for
- Curious history buffs and foodies who love seeing the macro sweep of civilization through a surprisingly narrow, deeply illuminating lens.
Content notes
- animal death
- ecological collapse
About the book
Wars have been fought over it, revolutions have been spurred by it, national diets have been founded on it, economies and livelihoods have depended on it, the settlement of North America was based on it. To those it has sustained, it is a treasure more precious than gold. It is the codfish, whose story – concisely and eloquently told by Mark Kurlansky – casts a fascinating and revealing fight on world history.COD spans a thousand years and four continents. From the extraordinary Basques, who first commercialized cod in medieval times, to Bartholomew Gosnold, who named Cape Cod in 1602, to Clarence Birdseye, who founded an industry on frozen cod in the 1930s; from 17th century cod wars to the story of how this once ubiquitous fish is today faced with extinction, dramatizing a global ecological crisis; from Nova Scotia and New England to Scandinavia, the coast of England, Brazil, and West Africa; Kurlansky tells a story that, through its narrow lens, open world history to readers in remarkable new ways.COD is enriched by historical photographs, drawings, and artifacts, as well as a collection of recipes, from the Middle Ages to great contemporary chefs, which tell their own piece of the legacy of the codfish.
Description from Open Library.
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