Description

A lively, anecdotal, all-encompassing history of Basque ingenuity and achievement. Atlantic Monthly

From Mark Kurlansky, the bestselling author of Cod, Salt, Birdseye, and Paperthe illuminating story of an ancient and enigmatic people

Straddling a small corner of Spain and France in a land that is marked on no maps except their own, the Basques are a puzzling contradictionthey are Europes oldest nation without ever having been a country. No one has ever been able to determine their origins, and even the Basques language, Euskerathe most ancient in Europeis related to none other on earth. For centuries, their influence has been felt in nearly every realm, from religion to sports to commerce. Even today, the Basques are enjoying what may be the most important cultural renaissance in their long existence, as displayed by new cookbooks like chefs Alexandra Raij and Eder Monteros The Basque Book and restaurateur Jose Pizarros Basque. Mark Kurlanskys passion for the Basque people and his exuberant eye for detail shine throughout this fascinating book. Like Cod, The Basque History of the World, blends human stories with economic, political, literary, and culinary history into a rich and heroic tale.
Among the Basques greatest accomplishments:
Explorationthe first man to circumnavigate the globe, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, was a Basque and the Basques were the second Europeans, after the Vikings, in North America
Gastronomy and agriculturethey were the first Europeans to eat corn and chili peppers and cultivate tobacco, and were among the first to use chocolate
ReligionIgnatius Loyola, a Basque, founded the Jesuit religious order
Business and politicsthey introduced capitalism and modern commercial banking to southern Europe
Recreationthey invented beach resorts, jai alai, and racing regattas, and were the first Europeans to play sports with balls

Entertaining and instructive [Kurlanskys] approach is unorthodox, mixing history with anecdotes, poems with recipes. -The New York Times Book Review

Author: Mark Kurlansky
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 02/01/2001
Pages: 400
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 7.71h x 5.10w x 0.77d
ISBN: 9780140298512
Language: English