On the eve of the Second World War, the foreign-controlled port of Shanghai was the rendezvous for the twentieth century's most outlandish adventurers, all under the watchful eye of the illustrious Sir Victor Sassoon.Emily 'Mickey' Hahn arrived there at the height of the Depression. A legendary New Yorker journalist, Hahn's vivid writing would play a crucial role in opening Western eyes to the realities of life in China. But on reaching Shanghai, Hahn was nursing a broken ...

A New Scientist, Globe and Mail, and Eater Best Book of 2023In the tradition of Michael Pollan, Anthony Bourdain, and Mark Bittman, “a surprising, flavorsome tour of ancient cuisines” (Kirkus, STARRED)****—from Neolithic bread to ancient Roman fish sauce—and why reviving the foods of the past is the key to saving the future.“A fascinating look at the people who are keeping these ancient food traditions ali...

The original round-the-world public transport travelogue. Award-winning author Taras Grescoe rides subways, streetcars, bikes and ferries from Toronto to Tokyo, Phoenix to Bogotá, to find out what makes some cities work, and why the car was never the answer for the cities of the 21st century."[A] passionately argued and important book." —The Guardian"A sort of love letter to mass transit—and an oddly compelling and entertaining one at that." —T...

Witty and provocative, The End of Elsewhere is a riotous on-the-road odyssey, a brilliant history of leisure travel, and an investigation of the impact of mass tourism on the world's most fragile places. It will be treasured by anyone who has been conned by "authentic" travel."Grescoe weaves humour, anthropology and travelogue into an eclectic mix that makes The End of Elsewhere one of the most original travel books to come out in years. His perspective is fresh; his prose never du...

Strong social and political relevance: Possess the Air is a story of resistance against political fascism, profiling acts of political dissidence. Appeal to socially conscious and politically engaged readers, as well as WWII history buffs.The author of seven previous books of nonfiction, Grescoe has contributed to New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, Gourmet, and Wall Street Journal.

There’s simply no limit to the sins people will commit for a tasty meal. The Japanese are notorious for their trade in bluefin tuna, while newlyweds in Bangkok, Shanghai and Singapore devour a gelatinous soup made from poached abalone and fins hacked from living sharks. But surely there’s no need for you to feel bad about ordering sea bass in a London restaurant? Unless, of course, you consider that you may well be enjoying one of the very last members of the species.In Dead Se...

Dividing his sensibilities between Epicureanism and ethics, award-winning author Taras Grescoe set out on a worldwide search for a delicious―and humane―plate of seafood. What he discovered shocked him. From Red Lobsters to shrimp farms in India, Bottomfeeder takes readers on an illuminating tour through the $55-billion-dollar-a-year seafood industry. Grescoe examines how out-of-control pollution, unregulated fishing practices, and climate change affect what ends up on our plate. More than ...

Never in history have we seemed to have such global freedom, such an opportunity to indulge our wildest tastes. We think we live in a time of unprecedented choice. But as Taras Grescoe discovers, this is just an illusion.In this witty expose our intrepid author goes in search of the things that the rulers of the world will punish you for trying – all the time asking the question: why in ostensibly free states should we be criminalized for behaviour that concerns no one but ourselve...

“Vivid and entertaining… Grescoe, who lives in Montreal, roams the world to tell the stories of various passions, most of them edible.” —The New York Times“Grescoe is of the Anthony Bourdain school of food reportage, treating the reader as a sidekick on a rebellious gastronomical adventure with lots of boozing (absinthe in Switzerland), drugs (coca leaves in Bolivia) and foods that, tasty as they may be, are not for the faint of heart… behind this culinary risk-taker hides a true p...

**Jeanine Cummins' new novel Speak to Me of Home is available NOW**'Heartstopping... doesn't let up... you will urge them on, fists clenched' The TimesAn extraordinary story of the lengths a mother will go to to save her son, AMERICAN DIRT has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. It's time to read what you've been missing.Lydia Perez owns a bookshop in Acapulco, Mexico, and is married to a fearles...

**The love story of the century.The instant Sunday Times bestseller and the sequel to Brooklyn.**Long Island by Colm Tóibín is an exquisite, exhilarating novel that asks whether it is possible to truly return to the past and renew the great love that seemed gone forever.A man with an Irish accent knocks on Eilis Fiorello’s door on Long Island. In that moment, everything changes. This stranger will reveal something that wil...

A story of loss, hope and redemption against impossible odds…★★★★★ 'If you've read The Women by Kristin Hannah I recommend you read this one!!!!'The Canadian Globe & Mail Bestseller!'Extremely compelling' Historical Novel Society'Alward tells this story of the wounded survivors and the people who cared for them with affecting grace' Toronto Star1917. Halifax, ...