I Dislike Paris in the Summer

There is a true art to writing historical fiction. You've got to strike the right balance between facts and imagination, and that is not easy. One of the writers that I have always thought hit just the right tone is Edward Rutherfurd.
He has written dauntingly long (but fabulously engrossing) books that center on one city or area. Then he delves in and gives you all of the juicy historical details, told from the point of view of a common everyday person, rather than the kings and courtiers that usually crowd into the limelight. And he did it long before Ken Follett looked up to his famous pillars.
The stories spin a web to trap you, making you truly care about what happens to the families you love (or sometimes hate). And the clever historical facts are dropped in benignly, not in a way that shouts, "We're learning something here!"
I've been a huge fan – until recently. I know I said life is too short to read bad books, but even I can get snared by an author that I love. Rutherfurd's most recent book, Paris, was the bait and I fell for it. I wanted to love it, so much so that I kept plowing through it. By the end, I was so frustrated with it that I left the book in a New Orleans hotel. That's a big deal for a woman who treasures all of her other Rutherfurd books.
I don't review bad books, as you know, and this was not a "bad" book in the sense that it was well-written. If you've never read Rutherfurd, you may find it perfectly acceptable. But if you know Rutherfurd, it just isn't up to his usually high marks.
So below I'll list Rutherfurd's books from best to least-best, and then tell you why I love the City of Light, but I dislike Paris.

Sarum

This novel was published 16 years ago and I have probably read it eight times. It is an amazing look at 10,000 years of history in England, centering on a sacred area in the Salisbury Plain that includes Stonehenge. Don't let that huge span of time put you off. This is a fascinating historical saga through the eyes of five families who live, love, and endure during some of the most noted and incredible events. Rather than thinking it's too long, you won't want it to end.

London

This book is a love letter to the city of London. Focusing on 2,000 years of history, beginning with the Roman occupation, London offers adventure and drama, history and mystery, all again viewed from the common people who populated the city from its earliest days. London also highlights a neat trick of Rutherfurd's: He reveals how the city is built the way it is, how certain streets got their name, the hidden highways and byways that have been covered over or built upon, and the geological and geographical oddities that made London what it is today.

New York

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book – and to this day I find myself telling people about the history I learned while reading it. Again, like the other books above, this is far from a dry schoolbook, but a larger-than-life adventure on the island of Manhattan. From American Indians to the Dutch, German, and Irish immigrants who moved in and took over, the people are the focus of this book that entertainingly gives you insight into how New York grew, named its streets and boroughs, and became the amazing city it is today. I've reviewed this one in the past here.

Russka

It has been said that to know a country you must know its people. Rutherfurd obviously took that to heart with this book, a look at close to 2,000 years of Russian history. From roaming ancient tribes, to lowly serfs, to idealistic revolutionaries, Russka showcases the contradictory and contrary people that make up this vast country.

The Forest

To the south of Sarum is a vast wood that has been the scene of an astonishing amount of history. Known as the New Forest, it runs right to the sea that has also been the focus of commerce, war, and invasion. Beginning with the suspicious death of William the Conquerer's son, and running right through the Spanish Armada, Jane Austen, Nelson's war, and more, The Forest gives us insight to the land and sea that make England an amazing island.

The Princes/Rebels of Ireland

These are actually two books, Princes first and then Rebels, that focus on the history of Ireland and its people. These were not two of my very favorites, but they are still good reads from Rutherfurd.

And then there is Paris.

I love the city of Paris so much that I was impatiently anticipating this book. Maybe that makes the disappointment that much greater. The general gist of why I don't like Paris is exactly why I love Rutherfurd's other books so much: The history. In his previous books, Rutherfurd told his tales in chronological order, patiently building your understanding and knowledge of the area and the families. In Paris, he jumps around like a flea, back and forth through time, leaving the reader not only confused but also not really engaged with any particular character. The second major flaw? He leaves out those details that I loved so much: How was this street named? Why was that cathedral built on just that site? Which king caused that monument to be built? How did the windows at La Sainte-Chapelle survive? Instead, it's all Eiffel all the time, as if there are no other sites or settings in Paris worth talking about. How disappointing. So I'll go back to waiting, and hoping that Rutherfurd is back on his game in the next book.

Three to Get Ready

Time to start those annual Summer Reading Lists. Here are three biographical books that I promise will engage and intrigue you.

Love, Life, and Elephants

by Daphne Sheldrick
For over 50 years, Sheldrick has made it her life's work to advocate for elephants and other wildlife in Africa. She also happens to be the first person ever to raise an infant elephant by hand (the fats in the milk are the key to success, according to the author).
Sheldrick and her husband David, the warden at Tsavo National Park, worked tirelessly to develop the park into a haven for animals and an attraction for eco-tourists who want to learn more about the endangered animals of Kenya.
This is not, however, a preachy animal-rights book at all. Instead it showcases the author's love for elephants, including Eleanor, an pachyderm that Sheldrick has counted as a friend and companion for over 40 years. Funny and heartwarming, this is a book for any animal lover.

Prague Winter

by Madeleine Albright
Imagine discovering, at the age of 59, that your family history is not at all what you thought it was. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright found out just how that feels when a Washington Post article uncovered her family's past, including the fact that many of her relatives died in the Holocaust.
That article pushed Albright to discover what her family truly went through in Czechoslovakia during WWII as Hitler marched through their country without a peep of dissent from the rest of the world.
Albright read through her parents diaries and letters (some excerpts are reprinted in the book), researched the towns and cities where she and her family members lived, and delved into historical documents, all to find out the truth about her family's place in her home country's terrible history.

Devil in the Grove

by Gilbert King
Before becoming one of the most well-known Supreme Court justices in history, Thurgood Marshall had an incredible career as a lawyer.
A small case blew up into a national event when Marshall decided to take on a crooked cop in small-town Florida.
Willis MacColl was the sheriff of Groveland, Fla., in 1949 when a white girl said that four black teenagers had raped her. MacColl led a group of lynchers who viciously murdered one of the teens and brought the other three to "justice."
Marshall took on the appeal and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case against two of the teens who were on death row. The case turned deadly when both boys were shot on the way to court, one fatally. Marshall's family and friends begged him to drop the appeal after he himself received death threats and one of his own NAACP associates was murdered. But, as this gripping account details, Marshall was determined to get to the truth and to bring down the devil of a sheriff and his corrupt cronies.

Ciao, Roma!

In preparing for a trip to Rome, it's almost impossible to narrow down the huge lists of books that can inspire, advise, and inform your trip. There are probably 10 specific periods in Rome's history that fascinate me, so the stack of books could be daunting.
But here are three that made my list, and inspired my trip. More books (especially about my favorite Roman time period) later this week.

Rome
by Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes gives us a very personal journey through Rome's history and culture. He skips a bit quickly through ancient Rome for my taste, but paints an incredible view of the Renaissance. As the former art critic for Time, that really shouldn't surprise, but to be fair Rome had an amazing diversity of artists, sculptors, composers, and architects who created stunning works during the Renaissance.
I used Hughes' book to find hidden gems like Villa Medici.

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling

by Ross King
It's astonishing to realize that Michelangelo only received the commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel almost as a consolation prize. The project he most wanted was to sculpt the Pope's tomb, but instead he was convinced by Pope Julius II to paint his now-famous scenes. Michelangelo was not know for his paintings and he didn't have experience with frescoes. Add to that the cost to his health (and his pocketbook), and you can understand how the gorgeous ceiling became the bane of Michelangelo's existence.


Sprezzatura: 50 Ways that Italian Genius Shaped the World
by Peter D'Epiro
Sprezzatura means the art of effortless mastery, and after just a few days in Rome, it does seem as if the Italians mastered (or created) almost every form of art.
D'Epiro showcases 50 of the top Italian cultural achievements, from developing the calendar (twice) to the first orchestra, and from love poetry to logic. This is a sharp and humorous look at how the history of Italy has shaped the world's culture.

Review and Recipe: A Gourmand's Life

Review: White Truffles in Winter

by N.M. Kelby
Auguste Escoffier was a small man with large appetites – for food, for women, and for life. He transformed French cuisine, making it more accessible for everyday gourmands and giving chefs a level of respect they had never had before.
In the late 1800s, Escoffier worked at London's Savoy with Cesar Ritz, turning the restaurant into the "it" destination for European nobility. He also created timeless recipes in honor of the stars of the day, some of whom were linked romantically with Escoffier. His dishes are still recognized today, like Melba toast and Peach Melba, named for Australian singer Nellie Melba.
Escoffier and Ritz rose to worldwide prominence in their own partnership, opening the Ritz in Paris and the Carlton in London, both of which immediately found success.
During his time in London, Escoffier lived apart from his long-suffering wife, the poet Delphine Daffis, who knew of his dalliances but looked the other way. Author N.M. Kelby offers a fictional account of the winter of Escoffier's life, when Delphine begs him to create a dish in her honor so that the world will know that she existed and that her husband loved her. After all, his lovers like Melba and the actress Sarah Bernhardt were honored many times with Escoffier's recipes.
Delphine enlists the help of a servant girl named Sabine to convince her husband to do this one simple thing. However, Escoffier contends, it isn't simple at all, that his love for Delphine can't be captured by a list of ingredients. And he is completely overwhelmed with the task of writing his life's story, The Complete Escoffier: A Memory in Meals.
As Delphine declines in health, her need for a dish from Escoffier becomes more desperate and she places orders for exotic ingredients from local grocers to tempt him. Escoffier and Sabine deal with the overwhelming food delivered to their door and, as they cook together, he retreats more and more into his memories of the past, where his moods and his deepest emotions were embodied in flavor and seasoning.
Kelby's writing captures the sensual nature of food and the euphoria brought on by that one perfect dish. She describes the cooking process and the sensory overload of fresh ingredients in a way that is unique and evocative. Consider this passage when Escoffier feeds caviar to Sarah Bernhardt:
"From the darkest beluga to the golden almas, creamy and subtle, to the osetra, with its hint of walnuts and cream, to the small gray eggs of the sevruga, with its overwhelming flavor of the sea, Escoffier fed Sarah a universe of moons."
Proving that love and longing can be expressed through food.

Recipe: Truffle Fries
Here is the deal: Truffles are the "fruiting body" of an underground mushroom. Otherwise known as a fungus. The most charitable word I can use for a truffle's taste is "pungent." While I know they are highly prized in haute cuisine, they are not my favorite thing. I prefer truffle oil – mainly because it contains no truffle at all but is just a flavored olive oil. Trust me, though, if you sprinkle truffle oil over french fries, you'll be transported into heaven just as quickly as if you were sharing lobsters with Escoffier.
Here's the basic recipe: Cook fries the way you like them. This can be homemade fries that you've baked, or store-bought fries that you fry in oil. But they should be crispy on the outside. Put the hot fries in a bowl and quickly toss with sea salt and 1 Tablespoon of truffle oil. Eat them all quickly. Whether you share them or not is up to you.

A Book That Changed (Family) History

We're doing something a little different with this post. Today there won't be a recipe, and this isn't your normal "review." This is going to be a more personal story about a shocker of a book ― at least it was a shocker to my family.

All my life, I've been fascinated by a woman that my family saw as a kind of godmother, a woman who became an extension of our family and who was beloved by the small community my mother grew up in.
Her name was Flora Beatrice Farnham. She led (we thought) a quiet existence. That doesn't mean she wasn't interesting...she definitely was. She had traveled all over the world, she was an accomplished painter and sculptor whose work is displayed in various buildings around the country, and she gave a lot of her wealth to the Catholic church.
She loved to inspire young girls to "make something" of themselves, and even helped my mother through college. She painted a mural in the church where my grandparents worshipped, and became a part of the rural Virginia community. And Miss Bea (that's how I always think of her) lived to be 103. I'll never forget how she took part in the Bicentennial celebrations in 1976 as if it was her own birthday party. And in a way, it was. She turned 100 that year.
Interesting? Yes. Earth shattering. Maybe not.
And then I heard the news about a book called John Otto: Trials and Trails. The author, Alan Kania, called my family to find out if the Beatrice Farnham in his book was the same woman that we knew.
When we heard his story, we thought there was no way they could be the same person. But we were wrong. So now, here is what I know about "my" Bea Farnham from his book (and trust me, we're all in shock):

1. We were always told that Miss Bea never married and that she was once engaged to a Navy lieutenant who died in the Spanish-American Civil War. But evidently, she was married to John Otto, a famous eccentric who forged trails in the wilds of Colorado, and even named Independence Monument and Liberty Cap.
2. People speculated that Otto and Bea only met once or twice before they married in 1911 at the foot of Independence Monument. He always maintained that they had known each other in California.
3. Bea was ahead of her time because she and Otto requested that the word "obey" be removed from the wedding vows, which turned out to be a sign of things to come.
4. Bea became famous around the country, with newspapers referring to her as a renowned artist and philanthropist who was disgusted with modern society and had gone West to live a more civilized and sane life.
5. One month after the wedding, Bea went back to her hometown in Massachusetts, supposedly to close up her estate and to return in six weeks. She never went back. She said later, "I tried hard to live his way, but I could not do it."
6. Within a few years, Otto finally filed for divorce and was rewarded an alimony of $2,000 from Bea. See the newspaper article below from the 1914 Pittsburgh Press. It shows an amazing photo of Bea in her Western regalia.
7. By March 1915, Bea was married again (!), this time to a cowboy and ranch foreman named Dallas Benson. Evidently, she went to the ranch to paint Western scenes and cowboys and ended up falling in love. She and Benson performed tricks on horses together, including one called "chasing the bride" that had Bea leaping from her horse and landing in Benson's arms.

Okay, at this point, I can tell you my family was beyond flabbergasted.
Many of the facts completely sync up. For example, Bea was an accomplished artist who painted many frescoes, including those that covered the walls of her small home hidden in the woods near my grandparents' house.
She was originally from Massachusetts and she did live with her mother for a time in California. One of my favorite paintings that she created was of the swallows returning to Capistrano.
And then compare the photos below. Hmmmm.
There are just too many similarities between the two Beas for them not to be (sorry) the same person.
The strange history of Bea Farnham in the book John Otto ends with her cowboy adventure. But how did she get from that ranch in Kansas to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia? When did the Catholic church become so important to her? And why was she so secretive about it all?
Those are mysteries that I'll have to dig into over the coming months. Stay tuned...

Bea Farnham and John Otto at their wedding ceremony, held at the base of Independence Monument in Colorado. Bea is wearing her grandmother's wedding dress, veil, and scarf.

Pittsburgh Press, 1914

The obituary card for "my" Bea Farnham.

Making Money Is in Vogue

Say what you will about Anna Wintour, she and her crew know how to make a buck. In a day when magazines have been winnowed down to the strongest survivors, she always seems to make headlines (and bottom lines).

This week, every time I turn around I see another newsbreaking item about Vogue. On CBS' Sunday Morning, Anna and Company were interviewed about the new Vogue archives, where you can access every single page of every issue in the magazine's 120-year history. Click here to see more. There is just one catch: You'll need to pay $1,575 to access the archive vault. Wow.
Then there is the new book, Vogue: The Covers from Abrams. The $50 tome showcases 300 iconic covers from 1892 to today. My favorites are posted below, but you can see more here.
Finally, just in case that wasn't enough, there's the Meryl Streep cover. Evidently, the actress is the oldest cover girl in Vogue's history. Savvy move, Ms. Wintour. Streep has street cred with the younger crowd, thanks to roles in movies like Mama Mia and Julie & Julia, and she is definitely a hit with (ahem) more seasoned folks. We'll see if the January issue becomes one of the top-sellers for Vogue; but regardless of that, the many extensions of the magazine's brand should help keep the fashion book (and La Wintour) in the forefront for years to come.

1909

1926

1939

1952

1958

1964

Diamond (Dagger) Davis

With a book blog, the inevitable question I get is "Who is your favorite author?" That's an impossible question to answer of course, but I do have my own shortlist of favorites, including this year's CWA Diamond Dagger award winner, Lindsey Davis.

The prolific British writer has penned 20 books in her famous Falco series of mysteries. Marcus Didius Falco is a former Roman soldier who is makes his living as an informer for the emperor Vespasian. He is in love with senator's daughter Helena, which is frowned upon in good Roman society, he has a very extended and exasperating family, and he often finds himself on the wrong side of a fist.
Lindsey Davis has a knack for mixing humor, mystery, and history into the perfect storytelling recipe. Her characters are real enough that I am half in love with Falco myself, and I am sure Helena and I could be best friends. I'm so protective of my relationship with the characters that I feel a sense of ownership. Here's an example ― on a flight from China, I was astonished to see an absolutely awful film made in Australia, featuring a mish-mash of Falco storylines, and showcasing some of the worst acting in the history of acting. I was appalled that anyone would treat Falco that way. As soon as I stepped off the plane, I shot off an email to Lindsey Davis, telling her how horrified I was on her behalf. Her response told me that she had no control over that particular film, but that she appreciated my outrage. HA!
And that's the key, really, of a good author. Anyone can tell a story, but not everyone can convince you that it's all real. To sustain that through 20 books, with each character growing in depth and each story better than the last, is an almost unbelievable feat.
I was lucky enough to hear Lindsey Davis speak at the 2008 Malice Domestic event in Maryland, and to meet her afterward. Luckily, she was just as I expected ― funny, wry, smart, and interesting. I had her sign my favorite of the Falco mysteries, The Iron Hand of Mars, which is also ranked #5 on her own website by her fans.
She asked me why I chose to have her sign that particular book, and I told her it was the scene with the bull that made it one of my favorites, which caused us both to giggle. "Ah, yes, the bull. A good character all around," she said. No, I won't tell you what exactly the bull is all about ― you need to read the book. But trust me, you will laugh out loud.
If you do decide to read the Falco series (and you must), begin with Silver Pigs, the first in the series. I want you to meet Falco, Helena, Petronius, Junilla Tacita, and all the rest at the very beginning so you can watch them as they themselves meet, argue, laugh, grow, love, and live through the entire series.
For more, go to Lindsey Davis's official website by clicking here.
Other Recommended Books by Lindsey Davis: Course of Honor (fantastic), and the entire Falco series.

Review and Recipe

For today's Review and Recipe, I'm going to step out of the Read.Eat.Think box a bit and highlight a food event for the "recipe," rather than an actual step-by-step procedure. Think of it as a recipe for fun for this weekend.
And speaking of doing things differently, since it's a major book award season, for the month of October I am going to give you more reviews:
CWA Daggers
On Oct. 7, the Crime Writers Association will announce the Dagger Awards. Starting on Monday, each day I will highlight one of the nominees for the Gold Dagger award. Since there are only four nominees, on Friday I will write about one of my favorite mystery writers, who won last year's CWA Diamond Dagger Award for a lifetime of mystery writing. She has written over 20 books in one series, and I adore her. But no more hints.
Man Booker Prize
This award honors the best novel of the year by a citizen of the United Kingdom. The winner will be announced on Oct. 18, and I will highlight the shortlist nominees the week of Oct. 10.
Mysterious and Spooky
Since I will hit a bit of a black hole at the end of October, thanks to my day job, I'll give you two weeks of seasonal suggestions. The week of Oct. 17, we'll start out gently with spooky and kooky books and then hit my list of the five scariest books I've ever read the week of Oct. 24. On Halloween, we'll return to the treats instead of the tricks. Now back to the Review and Recipe:

Review: New York
by Edward Rutherfurd
Historical fiction can be tricky, but the thing I have always admired about Edward Rutherfurd's extensively researched books is the seamless blend between historical facts and fictional characters that you think about even when you've finished the book.
Known for novels that stretch across centuries, Rutherfurd has only ventured off the British Isles once before, with the book Russka. So I was intrigued to see how he would approach the long history of the New World.
He begins as he always does, by drawing you in to the earliest days of the location, and beginning to build the land into the real central character of the book. With New York, those early days did not include the Europeans, of course, but rather the indigenous tribes who called the island Manna hata. Once settlers arrive, the forested island almost overnight becomes the bustling city of immigrants that it still is today, moving from a Dutch settlement to a British city to the center of revolution.
Interwoven into the history of New York City is the fictional story of families based on the real immigrants who came here for a new life. Some succeed and begin great empires, some are ground down by hardship and challenges. New York is an engrossing book that captures the can-do spirit that became the signature for the city that never sleeps. (2009 - Random House) 
Other Recommended Books By Edward Rutherfurd: Sarum, London, The Forest

Recipe for Fun: New York City Wine & Food Festival
Autumn is the time for some of the best food festivals in the country. I plan to indulge a bit myself this weekend at the Dixie Classic Fair. In keeping with the theme of today's book, this weekend also kicks off the New York City Wine & Food Festival (click here). This year, the theme seems to be all about food that's easy to carry.
Tonight, burgers are on the menu and chefs will create 21 varieties on the all-American classic. On Saturday, chefs like Bobby Flay will serve up 30 takes on tacos. Sunday's theme is meatballs, made of more unusual ingredients like crab, mushroom, or lamb.
All of the cooking, and the accompanying wines, are for a good cause, with proceeds from the event going to the Food Bank for New York City. So enjoy the crisper temperatures and find your favorite foodie event this weekend.

Review and Recipe

Review: The Lost King of France

by Deborah Cadbury  

In case you missed it, we had a bit of a theme this week with a selection of historical narratives.
We'll finish up with a great read that mixes science, suspense, and history.

In all of the books I’ve read about Marie Antoinette or the French revolution, the storyline usually ends with the Queen's death. The fate of her children, however, has been a mystery. Many in Europe today claim to be descendants of the lost Dauphin, with historians insisting that he actually died as a child, soon after his parents.

So many claimants to the throne came forward in the early 1800s. that Mark Twain even included a joke about the missing Dauphin in Huckleberry Finn. One serious contender, a Prussian named Karl Wilhelm Naundorff, was so convincing that he had his own courtiers and his descendants today still believe they are the heirs to the French throne. Naundorff even convinced the only survivor to the royal bloodbath, the Dauphin's sister Marie-Therese.
So what did happen to the young prince? This book lays out what we do know, including one of the most realistic and detailed accounts about the barbaric treatment of Marie Antoinette’s son that I've ever read. The viciousness of the Parisian mobs and the lack of any sympathy for a little boy of eight is shocking in the extreme.
The royal family's imprisonment isn’t treated as the opening act to the final guillotine’s blow, but rather an essential part of the narrative, so readers are given every gripping detail, many of which were taken from letters, journals, and official papers of the day. So many witnesses wanted to share their stories as the government flipped from royalist to republican and back again that there is quite a bit to work from. However, the fate of the prince is lost as he enters a final prison and seemingly disappears. The government insisted that he died of an illness, but did he?

Fast-forward to today’s world of science and technology. In a hidden corner of a cathedral rests a small heart, reportedly that of the lost prince. It's own history is one of intrigue and adventure. The heart was dropped, left in a dust heap, stolen, and finally hidden by the Archbishop of Paris. It’s amazing that it survived.
Scientists decided to use that tiny heart to test the DNA of known descendants of Marie-Therese, a process that was only possible thanks to the habit of those during the 18^th century to keep locks of hair from loved ones.
In 2000, the mystery was solved. Did the heart belong to the Dauphin? You'll have to read the book to find out ― or you can Google it. Even if you already know the answer, this page turner will have you looking at every clue with fresh eyes.  (2002 - St. Martin’s Press)

Recipe: Bad-for-Your-Heart Sauce
One thing the French know how to do is delicious food without all the hang-ups. I have used this beurre blanc recipe from Julia Child for years. But, being an uptight American, I only bring it out for super-nice occasions. It goes fabulously with fish, chicken, vegetables ― it would probably make a paper napkin taste amazing. It is also heart-cloggingly bad, which makes it perfect for our book review.
1 cup of butter, must be cold and cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper (white if you are picky)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
In small saucepan, heat white wine vinegar with salt, pepper, and shallot. Bring to a low boil and let it reduce down to just a couple of teaspoons of liquid while whisking to avoid sticking. Here comes the interesting part ― remove from heat and drop 2 tablespoons of the butter into the liquid and begin to whisk with a wire whisk. This just does not work as well with a rubberized whisk. Put the pan back on low heat and continue to add the butter, whisking it into the sauce until you have used all of the butter. Taste for seasoning and then serve when it is completely combined and creamy.

Not-So-Horrible History

This summer, my daughter and I went to the British Museum. It wasn't our first time there, so we had a very targeted idea of what we wanted to see. Amid all the incredible displays and stunning sculptures, what do you think made my 21-year-old jump up and down like a kid?

Well you're wrong. It was the display of Horrible Histories books in the bookshop.
The first time my daughter was in England, she was a 7-year-old who was just hitting the perfect age for gross-out humor and subversive ideas. She found her first Horrible Histories book at the Tower of London. It was Measly Middle Ages, and she begged for an entire selection of the series. Luckily, they were (and are) very cheap, so we scooped up several for the flight home. I am unashamed to say that I also read them on the plane, and was completely (and literally) engrossed by the time we landed back in the U.S.
The series, written by Terry Deary, is designed to engage and entertain while imparting facts and figures about history. The action is fast-paced and the illustrations by Martin Brown are hilarious. If you have a child who thinks history is boring, I promise you'll change his/her mind with any of these books. Or if you are an adult who forgot everything you once knew, these will make you laugh out loud while you re-learn. Just FYI, they aren't all about England. You'll find plenty of other world events in books like Groovy Greeks and Rotten Romans.
My daughter bought her way around England this summer, acquiring Smashing Saxons, Vicious Vikings, and more (luckily this time with her own money). I haven't yet told her that publisher Scholastic has branched out into new series and genres ― Murderous Maths, Horrible Geography, Horribly Famous, and the one I know will be on her holiday list, Horrible Science.
For more terrible fun, be sure to check out the Horrible Histories website here.

Erik the Read

Erik Larson sees history a little differently. He takes the big picture ― a hurricane, a war, a World's Fair ― and then narrows his view to a smaller story, something a bit more on the sidelines. He lets the two stories run side by side until they intersect, sometimes violently. Then he weaves the two narratives together into one strongly compelling history that I dare you to put down. 

The Devil in the White City
The 1892-93 World's Columbian Exposition ― also known as the Chicago World's Fair ― featured pavilions from 46 countries full of amazing wonders and new inventions that awed and inspired attendees.
Buildings were designed by titans of the architectural world, using so much white stucco and marble that the main Court of Honor was nicknamed the White City. Anything seemed possible ― machinery powered by new electrical currents, the very first moving pictures, the original Ferris wheel. Everyone in the country wanted to to see the amazing sights and trains were flooded with passengers eager to be the first in line. Many of them were young women, exhilarated by the promise of freedom in a new modern age.
Behind the magic and entertainment was a darker story. The Fair was disorganized and plagued by a lack of funds and workers' strikes. The chaos, and the influx of young and unchaperoned women, offered an unexpected boon to young Dr. H.H. Holmes, a serial killer with a penchant for architecture, too. But his most famous building would be known as Murder Castle. (2004 - Knopf Doubleday)

In the Garden of Beasts
This is the newest of Larson's histories, one that interestingly also begins in Chicago.
William Dodd was a long-time professor at the University of Chicago, serving as the head of the history department and working quietly toward retirement.
His dream, though, was to finish his book, a multi-volume series with a title only a professor could love ― The Rise and Fall of the Old South. Dodd's chance comes when, out of the blue, President Roosevelt offers him the role of ambassador to Germany. Oh, did I not mention that the year is 1933?
Dodd readily accepts. He speaks fluent German, after all, and he imagines that the easy diplomatic schedule will offer him plenty of time to write. So he packs up his household, which includes his wife and two grown children, and heads for Berlin. His son and daughter throw themselves wholeheartedly into the whirlwind of parties and gaiety that marked that German city in the '30s, refusing to believe the rumors they hear about their new friends, including Goebbels and Goring. But we all know how this story ends. Dodd now has to navigate a minefield of diplomacy, and somehow must convince his bosses in the State Department that the threat from the new German government is all too real. (2011 - Random House)

Thunderstruck
This is a story about a race against time and the book itself keeps a breathless pace.
There is Guglielmo Marconi, rushing to introduce a new and amazing means of communication that requires no wires. He is trying to outpace his competition and the skeptics that threaten to end his venture before it gets off the ground.
Then there is Dr. Harvey Crippen, a kind and sweet man who wouldn't hurt a fly ― until he murdered his wife. Now he's on the run with his mistress, who is disguised as a boy. They board a ship to Canada, safe in the knowledge that they will never be caught. And then Marconi's invention crackles to life.
That's where the final race comes in, as Scotland Yard and a bevy of excited reporters race to catch Crippen before he vanishes into the wilderness of North America.
For the first time, newspaper readers around the world are able to follow a "live" story as it happens, and the excitement starts the first media feeding frenzy. (2007 - Random House)

Good Spirits

If a long weekend puts you in good spirits (sorry), or if you've found some other reason to raise a glass, you might find it interesting to discover how champagne gets its bubbles. Or why coffee was seen as a revolutionary drink in its early history. Or when the first real marketing of liquor began. These books serve up a helping of history with an entertaining look at the drinks that are beloved around the world.

The King of Vodka
by Linda Himelstein
In the early 1800s, it was almost unheard of that a Russian peasant would be able to leave his indentured life in the countryside, let alone to build a business empire. But Pyotr Smirnov was one of the lucky ones ― and one of the smart ones. Never shy of hard work, Smirnov labored at multiple side jobs to enable him to purchase his freedom, and then found work in Moscow pubs where he learned all he could about the production and sale of the king of Russian drinks ― vodka. After earning enough to open his own distillery, Smirnov spearheaded the movement to bottle the liquor (previously sold only in casks), and then showed his true genius in marketing. He was the first to recognize that word-of-mouth advertising was the cheapest, and quickest, way to successfully sell a product. (2010 - Harper Collins)

The Widow Clicquot
by Tilar Mazzeo
Just as the business of vodka was refined during the early 1800s in Russia, the commerce and industry involved in creating champagne was developing at the same time in France.
Champagne itself had been in existence since the 1600s, but the creation of the bubbly wine was haphazard and the vintners never knew what they would get when they opened the bottles. Enter a complex woman for the complex task ― Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, an unlikely entrepreneur for her time.
After her husband's death, Barbe-Nicole took his small winery and transformed it into an unbelievably successful enterprise, spearheading many changes that we take for granted today ― the shape of the bottle, trademarks, cork shapes, how the bottles are stored, and more. In doing so, she also paved the way for other women in the wine business (Pommery, Bollinger, Perrier), while transforming champagne into a symbol of celebration and luxury. (2009 - Harper Collins)

A History of the World in 6 Glasses
by Tom Standage
Six drinks have literally changed the course of history ― beer, wine, tea, coffee, spirits, and soda. From the Stone Age to the modern age, these drinks have nourished workers, started revolutions, pushed exploration, and raised empires. 
Standage examines each of the drinks individually, offering a unique and engrossing history lesson in each chapter.
Some of the fun facts: The earliest imbibers of beer had to use long straws to avoid choking on all of the chaff floating around in the drink. Wine has probably been in existence as long as beer, but has suffered from an elitist reputation all the way back to its earliest recordings in history.
Coffee fueled subversive meetings and revolutionary talk across Europe in the 1600s, while tea was seen as a civilized drink...if you forget about all the aggressive actions taken to ensure England cornered the market. Meanwhile, grog (made with rum) stopped scurvy in its tracks. And Coca-Cola started out as a coca-infused wine. (2006 - Walker & Company)

Wednesday's Cookbook: A Perfect Fit

One Big Table 

by Molly O'Neill

"Recipes are family stories." Although that could be the tagline for this blog, it's part of the introduction to One Big Table, a massive new cookbook that is as much fun to read as it is to use for recipes.

Molly O'Neill, a former food columnist for The New York Times, was concerned that super-sized convenience foods and fast-paced living were creating a country of non-cooks. She decided to set out on the road to discover if anyone in this country still makes their own meals. In 10 years, she traveled 300,000 miles and gathered 20,000 family recipes from 25 geographic areas.

What she discovered along the way is that the recipes also represent a family narrative and the ties between us, and that they preserve our history in their ingredients. Those stories, and those connections through food and celebration, are also the entire genesis for this blog.

As O'Neill made her way across America, she discovered native foods and regional cooks, many of whom brought exotic ingredients from other lands. Each part of the country offered up its own heritage and culture in food, and each cook provided his or her own spice of life.

The 600 recipes she eventually chose for the book were often handed down from generation to generation. When she asked cooks to submit a recipe, she told them to provide the one that would embody who they are, the one recipe that they would want to pass down to their children or grandchildren. And in a nod to that recipe telling a story, One Big Table includes a biographies of the chefs, family anecdotes, and family photos.

Chapter titles offer clever twists on the usual fare, from "Nibbles, Noshes, and Tasty Little Plates" to "The Sweet Life." My fave is "Everything But the Squeal: Beef, Buffalo, Game, Lamb, Pork."
Added into the mix are quick sidebars like "A History of Bread" and "A Social History of American Stoves," along with historical factory photos, old agricultural posters, and timelines like "Significant Events in Popcorn."
I never thought I'd want to curl up with a good cookbook in the evening, much less one this hefty, but One Good Table makes it worth your while. (2010 - Simon & Schuster)