In this beautifully illustrated book, Beauman explores why this golden fruit is so special. Her passion takes her from Hawaii to the Philippines, from explorers’ voyages to pineapple chunks, at the same time evoking the fruit’s symbolism in film, art and design.
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About the Author
Fran Beauman graduated with a first class degree in History from Cambridge and now writes and presents for television. Her passion for pineapples began with a childhood visit to the pineapple-shapedgarden retreat at Dunmore Park in Scotland and has taken her across the world. This is her first book.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fresh look at a fascinating story,
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This review is from: The Pineapple: The King of Fruits (Hardcover)
Really enjoyed this book - it covers a lot of areas of interest from colonialism and exploration to consumerism, advertising and international trade, and fascinating aspects of English and American social history, particularly gardening and entertaining. Well researched, lots of cross references, many images that bring the story to life.
Unlike other histories told in dry, scientific terms, The Pineapple is also an amusing read - full of wit, and peppered with personal comments from the author that make the whole thing come to life. My only criticism is that the evolving role of the pineapple in 20th century eating, drinking and entertaining is barely touched upon. The rest of the book is so thorough, that I'm hoping there are plans for a second book that focuses on the 20th century, perhaps even told through historic recipes from early uses as showy garnish to its continuing starring role in cocktails ever since Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber first started mixing, to its health benefits, as well as the continuing popularity of the pineapple as a decorative symbol.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fleshed Out,
By
This review is from: The Pineapple: The King of Fruits (Hardcover)
"The Pineapple" is a wonderful feast of ideas and insights, beautiful written and well-illustrated. Here the photographs add a lot to the subject./ They have been selected with great care and do a lot to carry the narrative forward. Beauman really does a superb job of narrating the story of pineapple's introduction into Western culture as an icon of wealth and social standing and then as a symbol of a middle-class comfort food. It is a story of mass production, modern transportation, and availability. If supply and demand ever needed illustrating, this is a worthy source. I am most pleased to have found an author who is not afraid to speak honestly about race and class, free of the awful sort of obfuscating political correctness and impenetrable jargon that mars so much writing. This is a classic of concise writing, done with that unique talent the Brits have for making complex ideas simple and clear. the author has done an admirable bit for modern scholarship, made available to the general public, as history always should be.
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