Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Audiobook21 hours
Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol
Written by Iain Gately
Narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
A spirited look at the history of alcohol, from the dawn of civilization to the modern day.
Alcohol is a fundamental part of Western culture. We have been drinking as long as we have been human, and for better or worse, alcohol has shaped our civilization. Drink investigates the history of this Jekyll and Hyde of fluids, tracing mankind's love/hate relationship with alcohol from ancient Egypt to the present day.
Drink further documents the contribution of alcohol to the birth and growth of the United States, taking in the War of Independence, the Pennsylvania Whiskey revolt, the slave trade, and the failed experiment of national Prohibition. Finally, it provides a history of the world's most famous drinks-and the world's most famous drinkers. Packed with trivia and colorful characters, Drink amounts to an intoxicating history of the world.
Alcohol is a fundamental part of Western culture. We have been drinking as long as we have been human, and for better or worse, alcohol has shaped our civilization. Drink investigates the history of this Jekyll and Hyde of fluids, tracing mankind's love/hate relationship with alcohol from ancient Egypt to the present day.
Drink further documents the contribution of alcohol to the birth and growth of the United States, taking in the War of Independence, the Pennsylvania Whiskey revolt, the slave trade, and the failed experiment of national Prohibition. Finally, it provides a history of the world's most famous drinks-and the world's most famous drinkers. Packed with trivia and colorful characters, Drink amounts to an intoxicating history of the world.
Author
Iain Gately
Iain Gately was raised in Hong Kong and studied law at Cambridge. He is the author of La Diva Nicotina, Drink and Rush Hour: How 500 Million Commuters Survive the Daily Journey to Work. He lives in Dorset.
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Reviews for Drink
Rating: 3.6296296000000003 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
27 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I wasn't expecting much from such a seemingly trivial subject and was pleasantly surprised. It flows smoothly, is refreshing and I savoured it till the last drop. I liked the continuity of the narrative, connecting the world across thousands of years.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wonderfully exhaustive history of alcohol and perforce humanity. I learned a lot and laughed plenty. It's a behemoth of a book- covering all of recorded history- I kept it on my bedside table for months, dipping a ladleful or so each night. Recommended.