A cup of coffee is a miracle, a wonderful assemblage of relationships”. This classic follows coffee's journey around the world, from London to Brazil, telling in fascinating detail and amusing anecdote the singular history of the legendary commodity, from its discovery that chewing on the beans were keeping goats awake in Yemen to the author’s own experiences with the bean in 1935.Referred to as a documentary novel” back during its inception, H.E. Jacobs pioneered the concept of ...

Yeast, water, flour, and heat. How could this simple mixture have been the cause of war and plague, celebration and victory supernatural vision and more?In this remarkable and all-encompassing volume, H. E. Jacob takes us through six thousand dynamic years of bread's role in politics, religion, technology, and beyond.Who were the first bakers? Why were bakers distrusted during the Middle Ages? How did bread cause Napoleon's defeat? Why were people buried with bread? SIX THOUS...

''Six Thousand Years of Bread: Its Holy and Unholy History'' is a landmark book by German-American journalist and author Heinrich Eduard Jacob (H. E. Jacob), originally published in 1944. Based on more than two decades of exhaustive research, the book is a sprawling, comprehensive cultural history that explores how bread, agriculture, and grain have shaped human politics, religion, technology, and warfare across millennia. It remains a cult favorite among bakers, food historians, and chefs...

A fascinating and insightful biography of one of the greatest composers of all time, Johann Strauss. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

The moving story of Ulysses S. Grant's final battle, and the definitive account of the national memorial honoring him as one of America's most enduring heroesThe final resting place of Ulysses S. Grant, the victorious general in the Civil War and the eighteenth president of the United States, is a colossal neoclassical tomb located in the most dynamic city in the country. It is larger than the final resting place of any other president or any other person in Americ...

“A fascinating look into a world many of us never see, and a powerful story about one woman’s journey to find her own strength, with a clear message of the importance of books and information for all.” —Booklist (American Library Association), starred reviewShortlisted for the 2020 Social Justice & Advocacy Book Award by In the Margins Book Awards.In December 2008, twentysomething Jill Grunenwald graduated with her master’s degree in library scienc...

A revealing look at the history and production of spices, with modern, no-nonsense advice on using them at home.Every home cook has thoughts on the right and wrong ways to use spices. These beliefs are passed down in family recipes and pronounced by television chefs, but where do such ideas come from? Many are little better than superstition, and most serve only to reinforce a cook’s sense of superiority or cover for their insecurities. It doesn’t have to be this w...

1215 is one of the most famous dates in English history, and with good reason, since it marks the signing of the Magna Carta by King John and the English barons, which altered the entire course of English and world history.John Lackland was born to King Henry II and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitane in December, 1166; he was the youngest of five sons. However, he unexpectedly became the favored heir to his father after a failed rebellion by his older brothers in 1173. He became king in ...

Three powerful tales from the acclaimed chronicler of the American West—including the #1 New York Times bestseller, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee .Two profoundly moving, candid histories and a powerful novel illuminate important aspects of the Native American story.Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: The #1 New York Times bestseller that awakened the world ...

The true—and often shocking—stories behind some of the biggest names in business.We live our lives immersed in name brand products. What most of us don't know is that the origins of many of the most well-known and beloved brands in the world are shrouded in controversy, drug use, and sometimes even blatant racism.A Secret History of Brands cuts through the rumors and urban legends and paints a picture of the true dark history of famous brands, like...

Have you ever wondered why we wear the type of clothes we do? Packed with outlandish outfits, this exciting history of fashion trends reveals the flamboyant fashions adopted (and discarded) by our ancestors.In the days before cosmetic surgery, people used bum rolls and bombastic breeches to augment their figures, painted their faces with poisonous concoctions, and doused themselves with scent to cover body odor.Take a fresh look at history’s hidden fashion disasters and disco...

Whistleblowers pay with their lives to save ours. When insiders like former NSA analyst Edward Snowden or ex-FBI agent Coleen Rowley or Big Tobacco truth-teller Jeffrey Wigand blow the whistle on high-level lying, lawbreaking or other wrongdoing-whether it's government spying, corporate murder or scientific scandal-the public benefits enormously. Wars are ended, deadly products are taken off the market, white-collar criminals are sent to jail. The whistleblowers themselves, however, genera...