Customer Reviews

Six Thousand Years of Bread: Its Holy and Unholy History

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As a bread baker, I read this book anticipating information on bread through history. Who would have ever known that bread was so important. What a bonus it was learning about agriculture, religion, politics, literature , etc. and their connection to bread. It was facinating how the author found so many connections to bread, which was obviously more important in history than it is today-(referring to low-carb craze). The first 90 pages are a "tough-read", but it gets easier. I have purchased 6 more copies and am distributing them to friends. A very valuable book in my estimation. The deceased author (book published in 1944 and translated from German for the current edition)would have been quite surprised to see what has happened since 1944. If writing more chapters after 1944, he would certainly need a chapter on "chemical bread"-bread on the grocer's shelf that has a 30 day shelf life due to addition of anti-molding agents (sounds healthy doesn't it) requested by the grocery chains. It smells awful. Anyone that loves history, religion or agriculture would certainly find this book enlightening.

I bumped into Jacobs' book by accident while browsing the shelves in a library; what a joy to see it's been reissued! (The edition I found was dated 1943.) I have learned so much interesting history from this book; the Temple of Eleusis and its similarities to the life of Christ; the invention of the windmill; why the village hated the miller and Chaucer's Miller's Tale; on and on, there are fascinating things in each new thread he picks up.

Jacob's Six Thousand Years of Bread is an amazing presentation of the relationship between bread and the history of Western Civilization. Even if it were just about bread's history, it would be an amazing book given its scope and knowledge. But it isn't REALLY about bread. It uses bread as an access point for discussing transformations of values and paradigms of knowledge through history. In a word, Jacobs presents a philosophical "genealogy" of Western Civilization through a discussion of the role of bread.

Thus, Jacob's is a unique philosophical work. I can't think of any other book in philosophy or history that makes such a clear presentation of the causes and forces of historical transformation. In fact, the term "genealogy" I have used above has a specific sense that is relevant here. Coined by Nietzsche, "genealogy" is a strategy employed for a philosophical discussion of historical transformations of the sort Jacob discusses. But whether comparing Jacob to Nietzsche, Foucault, Derrida, Heidegger, or even Hegel and Kant, I can't think of a better example of a philosophical discussion of historical transformations of values and knowledge. As a bonus, the Jacob's method of using a history of bread to present this genealogy makes it far more approachable than most philosophical discussions. I can't recommend a book more highly. I might even use it as a recommended reading for students in my philosophy classes.

I had always known bread was a staple of life. Rarely has a day gone by when I have not consumed it in one form or another. But I had no idea what an important role it played in the development of historical record.

Jacob's poetic prose is sometimes tangential, but he delivers such fascinating tidbits that a reader cannot possibly mind the distraction. In explaining the development of bread in ancient Egypt, where it originated, he says: "The threshing floor is the battlefield between the tenacity of the stalk and men's hunger for flour."

I recommend that you read this book curled up in a cozy chair with a cup of tea and a fresh, warm slice of rye. Your view of history is about to be changed.

I picked up a copy of Six Thousand Years of Bread in an anitque shop. It sat on my shelf for years. I finally read it. WOW! What a fascinating look into the history of civilization-all based on grain and bread. According to H.E. Jacob's convincing theories, the rise and fall of nations is all attributed to grain and bread. H.E. Jacob, a Nazi Germany escapee is an excellent writer and the book reads like an intriguing mystery novel that spans 6,000 years.

It was published in 1944 and ends it's story during WWII. I would love to see it revised and expanded to include new discoveries about history and to bring it 's story into the 21st Century.

This is a very interesting book which sets forth the impact that bread has throughout history, art, religion and politics down through the ages. Beginning with the earliest cultivators of grains through the manmade famines of World War II Jacob details the close relationship that bread has had with the growth of human civilization. The book does not take a merely historical approach but rather provides an overview of human development through bread's effect on art, religion, society and government. One learns why the miller was considered a force of evil in medieval Europe, why the peasants were tied to the land and the effect this had on class interaction and the role of bread in the development of Christianity. There is quite a bit of commentary on the advantages that America had vis a vi Europe in regard to our relationship to bread. The vast social changes caused in America by our forefather's initial reliance on corn as opposed to wheat are an especially fascinating section of this book. Although the book was written during World War II it is still relevant today. This book will be enjoyed by anyone who studies history, art, religion, sociology and related subjects.

I purchased this book as documentation for a paper I am writing on bread in history. I already have The History of Bread by B. Dupaigne, and English Brad and Yeast Cookery by E. David, and World Sourdoughs by E. Wood. This book gives a unique perspective on the common man and his bread thru history. It does stand alone, but is a lovely companion to those I already have.

This book gives a rollercoaster ride through the role of bread in history. Each chapter is enough to make you buy ten more books on the subject. Thoroughly enjoyable. Avoid it at all costs. Justin McAteer

I have often wondered about the things in our lives we take most for granted, simple things like a knot, a fork, bread. Where do they come from? Who created them? Six Thousand Years of Bread addresses these kinds of questions (and many, many more) about bread. It turns out these questions are not simple; the history of bread is not straightforward, but is tied up with the history of politics, war, religion and technology. The history of bread could almost be called the same as the history of humans. This book is well-researched and fascinating to read and it serves as a reminder that nothing in our lives is really simple. Everything has a story, and in most cases-certainly in the case of bread-it is a story worth knowing.

This book discusses the history of bread from the viewpoint of western philosophy. That said, the earlier cultures (such as Egypt, for example) are not Western by nature -- and so a Judeo-Christian approach is applied to some societies that was not necessarily a part of them originally. It is more a modern interpretation of said history, which makes this a perfect book if you're looking for that. However, the title and the back of the book are misleading about this for the most part, unfortunately. I was expecting a very different book from the one I received. As I said before though, other readers may be pleased with the content. Your mileage may vary, as the saying goes.

After rereading the book, I noticed that the sources in the back are from the very early 20th century, and indeed, some from before. None were dated past around 1940 or so. Curious, I checked out the copyright date -- it's the early 1940's. So as a purely historical reference this book is indeed outdated. It's a shame; as if a revised and rewritten attempt were made it would be a delightful historical reference.

That aside, if the history of food is a turn on for you, and especially the philosophical thoughts on food and society, this would most likely make you happy. It was not a book of pure trivia and history, which made me a bit sad since I've been looking for a good one about bread for a while now. My recommendation is checking it out at the library, and then give it a whirl if it catches your fancy.