The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
by Mark Kurlansky
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mark KurlanskyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-01-09
ISBN: 0345476395
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Book Reviews of The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
Book Review: Shuck this oyster for a good treat
Summary: 4 Stars
"O oysters" said the carpenter,"you've had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?"But answer came there none-And this was scarcely odd,because They'd eaten every one.'Such was Tweedledum and Tweedledees discourse to Alice in Carrolls' well known work.They'd eaten every one, ah yes; a common lament of oyster lovers everywhere because the once abundant stock in New York waters are essentially gone forever.The Big Oyster, a work of enormity with regard to the tiny creatures history, and a good one at that, is fantastic.The greatness and economic well being,the essence of affordable sustenance for both the poor and the rich of early New York and also the world began with the bottom dwelling,succulent mollusc called by science, 'Crassostrea Virginica' the most popular variety it seems.Kurlansky has put together a comprehensive and at times a jumpy but focused history of a sometimes gritty New York as a city and its environs in relation to oysters as a leading core of its burgeoning greatness.From the first encounter by Henry Hudson to the local Delaware indians,the first New Yorkers by rights, thrived on them as evidenced by the enormous piles of shells found called middens, to the developing cultures that dominated for a time only to be replaced by yet another country and culture.These aspects right up to the revolutionary war and beyond is clearly examined and dissected.Millions,probably billions of oysters were there for the taking and we made sure we took and took and took some more, depleting a natural depository which spanned hundreds of thousands of years to develop.It seems that New York harbor and the surrounding waters were paradise for them to live,breed and provide us with an abundant, almost unlimited cheap resource.The downfall was man and his pollution,greed and population growth which unfortunately did away with this perfect food harvested in New York waters we now view as a delicacy.Everything you need to know about the oyster from its anatomy,harvesting preparation with an abundance of recipies I'd never try,shucking, promotion and distribution world wide and locally, as well as an enlightening,colorful and comprehensive history of New York is presented here.You will finish this book far more informed than you began and quite possibly know darn near everything there is to know about early New York and the Oyster that made it famous.You will be drooling for sure.I had recurring dreams of two dozen on the half shell which would not abate until I got them,wolfed them down with the pleasure only a fellow oyster eater would know after a prolonged absence from our little friends.I did have one little exception which was amusingly disturbing. Kurlansky states that George Washington's thirty four year old son Philip was placed in charge by him, to redistribute New Yorks' property following the end of the revolutionary war.George did no such thing and by that time both of Washington's adopted children were dead.He never even had a relative called Philip.What happened to the fact checking prior to publishing? Good lord, for a writer of history this could end a career as a reliable source. It can only lead to suspicion of all your other works and their accuracy. I don't have time to check other items as I hear there are other discrepancies as well.Please be carefull in the future Mark.However,aside from the above, I will still recommend this book for its novelty.It's a joy to read from an oyster lovers perspective. As a New Yorker, our city's history is also refreshingly enlightening.My home town of Staten Island is clearly represented and I can only hope that the abundance that once was will one day return to its sandy ground former glory.As a New Yorker reviewing this sometimes gritty and hardscrabble history, I'm not ashamed to say,pushed my thoughts toward the Oyster Bar and Grill for its variety and notoriety. But, to truly enjoy my treat closer to home I make a beeline to Lobster House Joe's where I can relax with a couple dozen on ice with horseradish and an ice cold beer.Nothing can match it.After reading The Big Oyster the compatriotism is quite evident and allows me to savor them even further.The book is quite thorough and worthy of purchase. If you live in New York, buy it to learn your city's history. If you like oysters, buy it to widen your knowledge. If your both, lucky you.This is just what you need after a long day at work.Keep the history alive and keep eating but not too much!To make extinct our local favorite, Bluepoints, would be too much to bear. Oysters rule!!!
Summary of The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
?Part treatise, part miscellany, unfailingly entertaining.??The New York Times
?A small pearl of a book . . . a great tale of the growth of a modern city as seen through the rise and fall of the lowly oyster.?
?Rocky Mountain News
Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky tells the remarkable story of New York by following the trajectory of one of its most fascinating inhabitants?the oyster.
For centuries New York was famous for this particular shellfish, which until the early 1900s played such a dominant a role in the city?s life that the abundant bivalves were Gotham?s most celebrated export, a staple food for all classes, and a natural filtration system for the city?s congested waterways.
Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight?along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos?this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the seventeenth-century founding of New York to the death of its oyster beds and the rise of America?s environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the rough-and-tumble Five Points slums to Manhattan?s Gilded Age dining chambers. With The Big Oyster, Mark Kurlansky serves up history at its most engrossing, entertaining, and delicious.
?Suffused with [Kurlansky?s] pleasure in exploring the city across ground that hasn?t already been covered with other writers? footprints.?
?Los Angeles Times Book Review
?Fascinating stuff . . . [Kurlansky] has a keen eye for odd facts and natural detail.?
?The Wall Street Journal
?Kurlansky packs his breezy book with terrific anecdotes.?
?Entertainment Weekly
?Magnificent . . . a towering accomplishment.?
?Associated Press
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