Mark Kurlansky

The Basque History of the World (eBook, ePUB)

The Story of a Nation

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

"A lively, anecdotal, all-encompassing history of Basque ingenuity and achievement." -Atlantic Monthly From Mark Kurlansky, the bestselling author of Cod, Salt, Birdseye, and Paper-the illuminating story of an ancient and enigmatic people Straddling a small corner of Spain and France in a land that is marked on no maps except their own, the Basques are a puzzling contradiction-they are Europe's oldest nation without ever having been a country. No one has ever been able to determine their origins, and even the Basques' language, Euskera-the most ancient in Europe-is related to none other on earth. For centuries, their influence has been felt in nearly every realm, from religion to sports to commerce. Even today, the Basques are enjoying what may be the most important cultural renaissance in their long existence, as displayed by new cookbooks like chefs Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero's The Basque Book and restaurateur Jose Pizarro's Basque. Mark Kurlansky's passion for the Basque people and his exuberant eye for detail shine throughout this fascinating book. Among the Basques' greatest accomplishments: • Exploration-the first man to circumnavigate the globe, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, was a Basque and the Basques were the second Europeans, after the Vikings, in North America • Gastronomy and agriculture-they were the first Europeans to eat corn and chili peppers and cultivate tobacco, and were among the first to use chocolate • Religion-Ignatius Loyola, a Basque, founded the Jesuit religious order • Business and politics-they introduced capitalism and modern commercial banking to southern Europe • Recreation-they invented beach resorts, jai alai, and racing regattas, and were the first Europeans to play sports with balls "Entertaining and instructive… [Kurlansky's] approach is unorthodox, mixing history with anecdotes, poems with recipes." -The New York Times Book Review

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group
• Seitenzahl: 400
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. Februar 2001
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780593512265
• Artikelnr.: 68392144

Autorenporträt

Mark Kurlansky is the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including Cheesecake, The Food of a Younger Land, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World; Salt: A World History; 1968: The Year That Rocked the World; and The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell. He has received the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Bon Appetit's Food Writer of the Year Award, the James Beard Award, and the Glenfiddich Award. He lives in New York City.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction: The Island and the World
Part One THE SURVIVAL OF EUSKAL HERRIA
The Basque Cake
1: The Basque Myth
2: The Basque Problem
3: The Basque Whale
4: The Basque Saint
5: The Basque Billy Goat
6: The Wealth of Non-Nations
Part Two THE DAWN OF EUSKADI
The Basque Onomatopoeia
7. The Basque Beret
8: The Basque Ear
9: Gernika
10: The Potato Time
11: Speaking Christian
12: Eventually Night Falls
Part Three EUSKADI ASKATUTA
Slippery Maketos
13: The Great Opportunity
14: Checks and Balances
15: Surviving Democracy
16: The Nation
Postscript: The Death of a Basque Pig
The Basque Thank You
Bibliography
Index of Proper Nouns
MAPS
Basqueland's Seven Provinces
Basque Border Passes
Basque Coastline
Pilgrim Routes to Santiago
German-Occupied France
Operation Comet

Rezensionen

A diligently researched, entertainingly anecdotal and lovingly partisan history Independent