Paul Freedman is Chester D. Tripp Professor of History, Yale University. His previous books include Images of the Medieval Peasant, The Origins of Peasant Servitude in Medieval Catalonia, and Food: The History of Taste.
"A major work . . . [it] presents a timely reappraisal of the
historical record in order to make its reasoned argument. It
deserves to be read by all those interested in food culture, but
also in trade, economics, and geography; and from disciplinary
perspectives spanning postcolonialism, cultural studies and
language studies."—Reviews in History
"Freedman shows that spices are central to understanding the Middle
Ages—they motivated the whole trading system of the Mediterranean
world."—Christopher Dyer, University of Leicester
"This is a magical book. With scintillating learning and
imagination, Paul Freedman has conjured up a medieval Europe shot
through with the magic of strong tastes and smells. He has
uncovered a craving—a craving for spices which would eventually
drive Europeans to the edges of the world in their
pursuit. Freedman has done more than uncover the taste buds of
a forgotten Europe. He has rewritten a fateful chapter in the
history of the world."—Peter Brown, Princeton University
"Like the spices—flavors, perfumes, and medicinals—so urgently
sought by medieval populations, Out of the East is a consummate
delight. I loved Freedman’s droll account of the debate over
the precise geographical location of paradise (off the Atlantic?
Northeast of India?), and of the tireless travelers who helped
bring the spices of the East to European tables. At last, the
voyages of Columbus make perfect sense. Spices!"—Marion
Nestle, New York University
"Paul Freedman combines his formidable scholarship with
story-telling skills to offer a unique history of spice. He has
taken our ancient fascination with spice as offering the taste of
paradise, and as an elixir of life to paint a rich canvas of
life in medieval Europe, dispelling in the process many commonly
held myths. Out of the East is a riveting story of many
adventures launched in the quest of spice and how it shaped
Europeansocial life. Freedman serveshistory as a delectable
banquet."—Nayan Chanda, author of Bound Together: How Traders,
Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization
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