From Papantla in Mexico—"the city that perfumed the world"—to the Indian Ocean islands, Vanilla traces the story of the vanilla plant and its secretive trade.From the golden cups of Aztec emperors to the ice cream dishes of US presidents, vanilla has mystified and tantalized man for centuries. The only orchid that produces an agriculturally valuable crop, vanilla can mask unpleasant tastes and smells, but also makes pleasant tastes stronger, smoother, and ...

Tim Ecott is a former BBC World Service correspondent specialising in Africa and the Indian Ocean. He has written for The Economist, The Times, Telegraph and Guardian and continues to contribute to BBC radio output on the World Service and Radio 4.For many years he has been a regular visitor to the Faroe Islands.

An island without a harbour, encircled by perilous cliffs and rising high above the wild Atlantic ocean, farmed by the same family for eight generations. What is it like to live at the edge of the world?In this marvel of quiet reflection and keen observation, Tim Ecott takes the reader to Stóra Dímun - an isolated island farm in the Faroe Islands with only two permanent residents. He finds a remarkable way of living; one where you're isolated but never truly alone,...

"A riveting narrative history about early attempts to crack down and even stamp out the Ku Klux Klan's reign of domestic terrorism . . . magnificent." —Douglas Brinkley, New York Times–bestselling author of American MoonshotIn the years following the Civil War, a new battle began. Newly freed African American men had gained their voting rights and would soon have a chance to transform Southern politics. Former Confederates and other white supremaci...

A light-hearted book about books and the people who write them for all lovers of literature.Do you know:Which famous author died of caffeine poisoning?Why Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was banned in China?Who was the first British writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature?What superstitions Truman Capote kept whenever he wrote?Who the other Winston Churchill was?A treasure trove of compelling facts, riveting anecd...

They stand proudly gazing across the Hudson River at the cliffs of New Jersey. Their brows are marked by ornamental pediments. Greek columns stand as sentries by their entrances and stone medallions bedeck their chests. They are seven graceful relics of Beaux Arts New York, townhouses built more than 100 years ago for a new class of industrialists, actors and scientists -- many from abroad -- who made their fortunes in the United States and shaped the lives of Americans.This book b...

"[A] history of air conditioning, chronicling the numerous gimmicks, failed attempts, con jobs, and eventual successes . . . a surprisingly interesting journey." — San Francisco Book ReviewThe air conditioner is often hailed as one of the modern world's greatest inventions—yet nearly as often blamed for global disaster. It has changed everything from architecture to people's food habits; saved countless lives, and caused countless deaths. First appearing i...

"A charming book full of erudition and wit" that explores the human impulse to accumulate books ( Literary Review).Jacques Bonnet, a lifelong accumulator of books ancient and modern, lives in a house large enough to accommodate his tens of thousands of volumes, as well as some overspill from the libraries of his friends. While his musings on the habits of collectors from the earliest known libraries are learned, amusing, and instructive, his advice on cata...

Get to know more than the usual facts and stats about animals, both familiar and rare! How Long Can a Fly Fly? will answer all your animal questions, along with plenty more you’ve never even thought to ask. This fun and educational book, good for all ages, is filled with fascinating information about animals, alongside unique hand-drawn illustrations that add to the entertainment. Lars-Ake Janzon is the on-call biologist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, where one of his j...

The illuminating history of milk, from ancient myth to modern grocery store.How did an animal product that spoils easily, carries disease, and causes digestive trouble for many of its consumers become a near-universal symbol of modern nutrition? In the first cultural history of milk, historian Deborah Valenze traces the rituals and beliefs that have governed milk production and consumption since its use in the earliest societies.Covering t...

"A rich, complex history . . . Deeply engaging and witty" ( Los Angeles Times).Long before Columbus arrived in the New Word, tobacco was cultivated and enjoyed by the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas, who used it for medicinal, religious, and social purposes. But when Europeans began to colonize the American continents, it became something else entirely—a cultural touchstone of pleasure and success, and a coveted commodity that would transform the wo...

"Introduces us to extraordinary men and women and landmark events that shaped the American character and the future of the nation." —Thomas J. Craughwell, author of Failures of the Presidents and Stealing Lincoln's BodyToday Americans remember 1776 as the beginning of an era. A nation was born, commencing a story that continues to this day. But the War of Independence also marked the end of another era—one in which many nations, Native American and...