<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Am. History Fueled by Fermentation as much as Fomenentation
Review: From our grade school history lessons we know that Ben Franklin was a great man. He invented the library, the fire department, the bifocal and discovered electricity. What they never told us is that an even better case could be made for his greatness. Ben Franklin also offered relief in times of beer shortage with the first published recipe for a pumpkin ale and relief from hop shortages with instructions on using spruce as a replacement. One of Ben's greatest disappointments in life was that his son, William Franklin, the Governor of New Jersey, was a British loyalist during the War for Independence but he no doubt took comfort in the fact that when the chips were down, he did enact laws to restrict the flow of American beer to British soldiers. In his book Beer In America - The Early Years 1587 - 1840, Gregg Smith retells the story of America's earliest years from the vantage of the American Brewing Industry. In his well documented account, beer, ale and cider are major players in such well known stories as the landing of the Mayflower to the discussions and debates leading up to the Declaration of Independence. Beer, malt and hops remain a point of contention between the colonists, thirsty for beer and in need of British raw materials, and their oppressors throughout the Revolution and become a political issue in the years following. In part one of his book, Smith takes us from the very earliest accounts of beer shortages and brewery building in the colonies through the colonial period and Independence into the expansion of the United States in the early 1800s. All the while we encounter familiar characters in the unfamiliar role of beer advocate. George Washington, we learn, should also be known as the father of American craftbrewing for his effort to persuade people to drink locally produced porter. And while James Madison and Thomas Jefferson had to table their plans to build a national showpiece brewery in Washington to handle the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key wrote our National Anthem over a few pints of American beer. Smith also pays homage to the early giants of American brewing in brief but complete histories of now popular names like Schaeffer and Yeungling and forgotten pioneers like Lauer and Woerz. In Part Two Smith examines the beer culture of early America with the same attention to detail. A well documented look at colonial brewing technology, temperance efforts and homebrewing complete the section beginning with an examination of the American tavern and its role in the American lives and a curious chapter on American beer based cocktails. As we should expect from a historian like Gregg Smith, this volume is a gem of beer lore and American history. It is a well documented, fun and easy read that is a must for anyone who loves history and should be enjoyed with a tankard of American Porter. George Washington would be proud.
Rating:
Summary: If you're into history....
Review: If you are into history and beer this is a great book. Heck, if you're just into history it's a great book. Learn the problems the colonials had with recruiting an army and how they solved it (with beer, of course). Obviously the book reveals much more than that and is filled with fascinating information about how integral beer was to society in the late 1700's and early 1800's. It's a book that you would read more than once. Worth your time and money.
Rating: 
Summary: Good read for beer drinkers and history buffs
Review: This book is a fine read for anyone who has any interest in either history or beer. It is an easy read that keeps you interested. Being from Boston I could easily envision some of the scenes recreated by Smith. Enjoyable!!
Rating:
Summary: Good read for beer drinkers and history buffs
Review: This book is a fine read for anyone who has any interest in either history or beer. It is an easy read that keeps you interested. Being from Boston I could easily envision some of the scenes recreated by Smith. Enjoyable!!
Rating:
Summary: A Novel Look at American History
Review: This book is a very creative look at American history starting with the landing of the Mayflower in 1587. The book looks at the birth of a country from the perspective of a beer lover. The book seems to be historically accurate but I question if the role of beer is overstated in this book. At times Smith gives the impression that without beer the country would still be under English rule because there would have been no continental army if not for the beer retions. All in all Smith succeeds in entertaining you. There is no doubt that great minds like Washington and Adams came up with some of their best ideas over a pint of ale at the local pub. One of the strongest points of the book is the chapter on colonial drinks. This chapter makes the book worth it all by itself. The reader will be amazed at what the colonists considered a good drink. The book comes with my strong recomendation because it is easy to read and it gives some insight into how our founding fathers liked to unwind. If you have a slight interest in history, a love for beer and a bit of imagination, then this is a good book for you.
Rating:
Summary: A Novel Look at American History
Review: This book is a very creative look at American history starting with the landing of the Mayflower in 1587. The book looks at the birth of a country from the perspective of a beer lover. The book seems to be historically accurate but I question if the role of beer is overstated in this book. At times Smith gives the impression that without beer the country would still be under English rule because there would have been no continental army if not for the beer retions. All in all Smith succeeds in entertaining you. There is no doubt that great minds like Washington and Adams came up with some of their best ideas over a pint of ale at the local pub. One of the strongest points of the book is the chapter on colonial drinks. This chapter makes the book worth it all by itself. The reader will be amazed at what the colonists considered a good drink. The book comes with my strong recomendation because it is easy to read and it gives some insight into how our founding fathers liked to unwind. If you have a slight interest in history, a love for beer and a bit of imagination, then this is a good book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Story of beer with an American History back drop.
Review: This should be called America in Beer. Smith overrate the importance beer played in the dramatic events of US history. His thesis that beer played an everyday part in Colonial life is well-taken, if a bit obvious. More interesting is his history of the brewing industry, and discussion of historical brewing literature. He should have concentrated on these, and placed beer and brewing into a context of technological and cultural change, and ignored political context except as it specifically concerned alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, Smith's history knowledge rarely transcends the mundane textbook level -- and even that is outdated, relying all too often on analyses and interpretations that are 40-50 years old, and have long been superseded. Still, since there is no other book on the subject, and it is easy, even enjoyable reading (especially the fictional intros to each chapter -- I love those), it is an important work.
<< 1 >>
|
