The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell

From Strand Bookstore

The influence of the oyster on the New York metropolis is unparalleled. Kurlansky, author of "Salt: A World History," "Cod: A Biography of a Fish That Changed the World," and "1968" among others, brings characters vividly to life whilerecounting dramatic incidents that changed the course of New York history. Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight - along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos - this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the island hunting ground of the Lenape Indians to the death of the oyster beds and the rise of America's environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the Five Points slums to Manhattan's poshest Gilded Age dining rooms. 307p.

From the Publisher

The best-selling author of Salt and Cod takes an insightful look at the influence of the oyster on four centuries of New York history, culture, economics, and culinary trends.

Review

Elizabeth Royte - New York Times Book Review
"THE BIG OYSTER proves that it is possible for a skilled researcher to tell the history of New York--its wealth, excitement, greed, destructiveness and filth--through the history of a single creature....Kurlansky is a genial and enthusiastic guide...."

Review

Publishers Weekly
"Kurlansky's history digresses all over the place, and sparkles."

More about the book

As he did previously in COD: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FISH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD and in SALT: A WORLD HISTORY, historian Mark Kurlansky takes a unique, and rewarding, entry-point into the past, this time relating the rich social history of New York City through its once-plentiful denizen of the deep, the oyster. Manhattan's harbor was once ideal for spawning oysters, and the Indians included them in their diet as did the settlers who came later. Kurlansky has done extensive research, and he spins tales of both rich and poor, as well as the famous (including, among others, Charles Dickens). Local saloons and exclusive restaurants--Delmonico's and Grand Central Station's Oyster Bar, for example--provided oysters in large quantities and in a variety of dishes. In THE BIG OYSTER Kurlansky captures New York City in its heyday, before the pollution of the Hudson River ended the reign of the mollusk.