Mark Kurlansky

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell -- Mark Kurlansky, Paperback

$20.00 $13.99 Sale
Shipping calculated at checkout.
22 in stock, ready to ship
"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


Author: Mark Kurlansky
Publisher: Random House Trade
Published: 01/09/2007
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.54lbs
Size: 8.04h x 5.28w x 0.73d
ISBN: 9780345476395

Review Citation(s):
New York Times 02/11/2007 pg. 28

About the Author
Mark Kurlansky is the New York Times bestselling and James A. Beard Award--winning author of Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World, Salt: A World History, 1968: The Year That Rocked the World, and The Basque History of the World, as well as Boogaloo on 2nd Avenue (his debut novel), and several other books. He lives in New York City.

Product Tags:

Cookery (Oysters), Cooking, Fish & Seafood, History, History - U.S., Mark Kurlansky, Paperback, Random House Publishing Group, Social History, Specific Ingredients, State & Local, United States

Find your next favorite

Welcome to Book & Mortar

Explore our extensive collection of contemporary and classic books. From the latest bestsellers to hidden gems, we have something for every book lover. Dive into the world of literature with our curated selection, and let your reading adventure begin.

Contact form

Fill this out if you need to get in touch with me!