Customer Reviews

Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink That Conquered the World

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The author traces the origins of rum (rumbullion, rumbustion, kill devil) from its semi-documented origins in Barbados in the mid 17th century to current day. He discusses the various impacts the liquor has had through the ages on slavery, economics, trade, religion, prohibition, military and holidays. While much of the book is entertaining reading, there were times when I had to force my way through chapters to get back into the rhythm.

I cannot legitimately question much of the factual nature of the author's work. However, being somewhat well read on the topic of pirates, I can say that the author has used fairly superficial research and reported stories that are not necessarily true. That said, this was not a book on pirates; it is about rum, and I have to leave it to those more knowledgeable in other areas to comment on the general factuality of the book.

One item sadly missing from the book is an index of the recipes which the author kindly includes at the end of each chapter. By way of remedy, I include the following:

Mount Gay Rum Punch, Barbados Recipe - p.23
Hot Grog - p.51
Spicy Baked Beans with Rum and Molasses - p.64
Bombo - p.80
West Indian Rum Beef Stew - p.80
Barbados Planter Punch - p.107
Banana Bread - p.107
Moose Milk - p.123
Medford Rum Toddy - p.124
Apple Tansy - p.124
Kubecake - p.139
Mauritius Rum Punch (Cold) - p.161
Mauritius Rum Punch (Hot) - p.161
Poudine du Pain (Bread Pudding) - p.162
Voodoo Love Potion Cocktail - p.177
Mannish Water (Goat Head Soup) - p.177
Irish Christmas Rum Punch - p.193
Tom and Jerry - p.193
Christmas Eggnog - p.194
Puerto Rican Coconut Milk-Rum Christmas Drink (Coquito) - p.194
Hot Buttered Rum - p.194
Black Bean Soup with Rum - p.195
Ceia de Natal (Brazilian Christmas Turkey) - p.196
Ginger Rum Glazed Ham - p.196
Jamaican Dark Rum Christmas Fruitcake - p.197
Ukrainian Rum Baba - p.198
Christmas Rum Balls - p.199
Kulich - p.200
Traditional Christmas Pudding - p.201
Cumberland Rum Butter - p.203
Plum Rum Cake - p.203
Rumless Hot Buttered Rum - p.233
Bacardi Cocktail - p.233
Cuban Black Bean Soup - p.234
Between the Sheets - p.245
Sweet Potato Pudding - p.246
Cuba Libre - p.263
Mai Tai - p.263
Zombie - p.264
Original Daiquiri - p.264
Frozen Blue Daiquiri - p.264
Banana Daiquiri - p.265
Pina Colada - p.265
Pina Colada Bread - p.265
Rum and Pepper Painted Fish with Habanero-Mango Mojo - p.266
Habanero-Mango Mojo - p.266
Black Bean and Fruit Salsa - p.267

Bottom line, read it with an open mind and compare notes with other books. And, enjoy a good tot of rum while doing it.

I enjoyed this book in that it caused me to think about how something relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things can have such a tremendous impact on world history. Mr. Coulombe does an excellent job of tracing the history of rum from its origins in the 1600's through to the present day. The importance of rum in the Triangle Trade and the development of Colonial America is detailed in an interesting, yet scholarly manner. As an added bonus, the author includes rum-based recipes for mixed drinks and food items. If you are interested in the development of the American Colonial economic base, slavery, piracy on the high seas, or just how rum is made, this book will fill the bill.

This book was a lot of fun. Anyone that loves history but hates long tedious reads is sure to love this book. It outlines rum's role in Colonialism, Piracy, Religion, Military, Prohibition, and the Mafia. I only wish it could have been a little more in depth on each subject. Especially on the lost chapter where he gives a small guide to rums of the world.

Not sure what the other reviewer was saying when it got stuck in places and he lost his rythm. Maybe he should read with his fingers. He did give a list of all the recipes so maybe he isn't so bad after all.

If you like history and you like rum then get this book!!!

Rum is my spirit of choice and when I saw this book I naturally had to get it.

This book traces the history of Rum from its discovery in the 1600's (I wonder if that is what actually lifted Europe out of the dark ages) until present day.

Rum has played such a significant role on the history of the world. It is doubtful that any other beverage save tea or coffee could boast as much. The main role it played was in the Triangle trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. This is also the initial focus of the book but goes into its role in militaries, prohibition, and more.

Rum has also played a significant part in shaping religious practices and other world events. If you want a solid but smooth ride through history then this is the book for you. I guarantee you will learn something new about the world as well as have a new appreciation for the power of a simple sugar derived spirit.

Added bonus are all of the recipes included at the end of each chapter. I suggest you start this book with your favorite rum concoction because you will soon be thirsty.

I bought the book for the listings in the back of the rum producing countries, their distilleries and the specific rums they produce.

In addition to that, there is a lot of great information in the book on the specifics of how rum was made historically and how it is made in each country, I was quite happy to find the recipes and some of the historical background - I had no idea so much rum was produced in colonial America - for example.

However I think it would have been a better book if it was ~20 pages shorter, some of the background material is not really related to rum.

Mr. Coulombe has written a very good book that is perfect for those who want a general overview of the history of rum and its direct effects on world history. I especially enjoyed learning about early American history that is hard to find elsewhere. This book was not only informative but a fun read as well. My only criticism would be when, on occasion, Mr. Coulombe makes reference to contemporary politcs - it not only deviates from the story but is unnecessary. For example, when he cautions about purchasing Cuban rum because "..profits prop up the oppressive Castro regime" but then fails to realize that the average Haitian (which has effectively been under US control for the last 100 years) would trade their lives with the average Cuban in a heartbeat.

Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink that Conquered the World was one of several histories of rum published around the same time; that so many authors saw fit to write on the subject is perhaps indicative of rum's accelerating popularity among selective drinkers, or it may simply be that the history of rum is nothing short of fascinating. Whatever the reason, Charles Coulombe sets his sights high for his book, though not everybody would agree that he hits his mark.

Coulombe manages to pack a wealth of facts into the pages of his book, divided into rather sensible chapters. The earlier chapters follow the same pattern as most other histories of rum, from the hazy history to the sparse documentary evidence. The real strength of the author's writing is in the regional rums of yore. The chapter on Rum as Sacrament was also of particular interest.

However, the major shortcoming of this book is the author's tendency to rely entirely too heavily on secondary and tertiary sources, with apparently little utilization of contemporary documentary evidence. That Coulombe does not cite sources for his information apart from a modest bibliography does not inspire confidence. He tends to make a lot of throwaway assumptions that either add nothing to the text or have no supporting evidence. Similarly, the reader feels as though Coulombe has left something unsaid. This is a serious detraction, because it forces the reader to second-guess the factuality of the text.

The big draw to this book is the recipes included as part of the text and appended to the end; these include both cocktails and foods incorporating rum as an ingredient. Coulombe has also included an introductory guide to styles of rum for those wishing to do "field testing." As a minor note, the hardcover edition features two different finishes on the jacket; while the majority is glossy, the label on the bottle is a matte finish to simulate a real label. Clever addition, that.

All in all, while Coulombe's Rum presents a wide array of information, and a good collection of recipes, the book suffers a lack of trustworthiness at times. If you're prepared to read at your own risk, it is a good read. I'd give it 3 or 3.5 stars. If you only get one book about rum, however, I'd recommend And a Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis. However, Coulombe has touched on a lot of aspects of rum's history that other authors do not cover, or only mention in passing; in that regard it is certainly a worthy read.

Solid volume recounting rum's history and how it's almost always been involved in the world's development, since the earliest times (i.e. even before 16th century).

Enjoyable read and not at all focused on the "how" of rum making. More about it's origins and eventual worldwide spread and "how" that happened and "who" was involved. Excellent job at sorting myth from reality from the many rum stories.

However, I have to criticize the author for going off on the occasional tangent and failing to really make his point about why rum was important to the argument. For example, in the "Rum, by Gum: Prohibition Triumphant" the author clearly feels the world of today is fast becoming Americanized socially, economically, and politically. But what does this have to do with rum? You'll have to figure it out on your own I'm afraid.

That aside, I think I'd definitely recommend this fun read without hesitation. Just know what to skip at times.

Also, each chapter ends with a select list of food and cocktail recipes which I thought was a nice touch. On one of the recipes though, there's a clear mistake. I've had a few Cuba Libre's over the years and I'm pretty certain there's no gin in the recipe. So watch out for that.

Rum is all too often overlooked as a great drink but this book certainly does its bit to help put that right. It succeeds in making rum interesting, with great accounts of the history of the drink that are nicely interspersed with plenty of top recipes for fans.

However, I would agree with some of the other reviewers who found themselves having to plow through some parts, particularly where the author seems to digress. In this vein, I felt Coulombe's (current) political views were superfluous and only detracted from the book's respectability. And one other point - I was surprised to see almost no mention of Venezuela, a tropical country which has a long tradition of fine rums, including some of today's best, such as my own favorite, Ron Santa Teresa!

In a world full of books which endlessly recount well-known stories and facts about rum, it is refreshing to come across this title. In "Rum," Mr. Coulombe manages to share with his readers many little known facts about rum, such as the religious and historical impact rum has had on society.

The book is well written, well researched and fills an important gap in today's rum literature: the impact of rum in our culture. This book is not about rum styles, production methods, ratings and distillery propaganda. In fact, only a dozen pages (out of nearly 300) are devoted to naming rum companies and their brands. Instead, readers will find themselves immersed in passages that narrate historical events, religious backgrounds and economic conditions that led to the quick adoption of rum as a pillar of many societies.

Chapter 9 "Rum as Sacrament: Voodoo and Obeah" is particularly interesting, as it exposes rum a religious artifact or component. Overall, an excellent book on the subject of rum. We wish Mr. Coulumbe great success with this printing so that future editions may benefit from the addition of charts, maps and illustrations, which would greatly enhance the educational value of this piece.