Great cultural history of cod eating — Kurlansky talks about the "secret" pre-Columbus Basque cod fishing grounds, the value of salt cod as an international trade good in the molasses/rum/slave triangle and many other intersections of military, political and cultural history that involve cod. The recipes are woven into the narrative (e.g. traditional Caribbean dishes of salt cod date from the poor-quality cures shipped to slave plantations). The missing bit is modern research — there are a few paragraphs about relevant natural history, such as cod's trophic strategy and type of musculature, but there's no insight into what is being learned now about small populations and stock rebuilding. ( )

Kurklansky combines history, modern conservation efforts, recipes, and trivia to illustrate how the lowly cod fish has played a significant role in the creation of the world we know. Although concisely written, the resulting narrative microhistory is rich in detail. The narration by Richard M. Davidson is well done. ( )

There is almost no waste to a cod. The head is more flavorful than the body, especially the throat, called a tongue, and the small discs of flesh on either side, called cheeks. The air bladder, or sound, a long tube against the backbone that can fill or release gas to adjust swimming depth, is rendered to make isinglass, which is used industrially as a clarifying agent and in some glues. But sounds are also fried by codfishing peoples, or cooed in chowders or stews. The roe is eaten, fresh or smoked. Newfoundland fishermen also prize the female gonads, a two-pronged organ they call the britches, because its shape resembles a pair of pants. Britches are fried like sounds. Icelanders used to eat the milt, the sperm, in whey. The Japanese still eat cod milt. Stomachs, tripe and liver are all eaten, and the liver oil is highly valued for its vitamins.

How did cod change the world? I'm afraid that information is on a need-to-know basis only, and if you need to know, you will have to read this book! This book tells the story of the rise and fall of the cod fisheries of the North Atlantic, and includes a selection of cod recipes from the past 500 years.

A note for Mark Kurlansky: Fish and chips is not hyphenated, and it's a chip shop (chippie for short), not a fish-and-chip shop. I'll have cod and chips twice please, wrapped. ( )

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Who knew that a history of the Atlantic codfishery could be so entertaining? Focusing largely - though not entirely - on the once-fabled Grand Banks off Newfoundland, Kurlansky starts with the Basques, a small group of peoples living near the Spanish border with France. Somewhat oddly, they were renowned seafarers, and as early as the 15th century, they were selling dried cod, fairly different in taste and texture from the North Sea cod that was already well-known to ports across Europe. The Basques never divulged the secret of where their cod came from, but now it seems the jig is up, so to speak: it was from the Grand Banks. They didn't want to tell anyone, because they didn't want others to share in the spoils. And so Columbus 'discovered' America; and John Cabot, able to report back with news of the terrific splendor the Banks had to offer, where you could dip a bucket in the water and bring it back up brimming full of fish.

Kurlansky takes us through the heady days of exploration of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, showing how cod became a commodity not only in its own right, but also as a necessary resource in the business of waging war against the other colonial powers. (He who had the most cod could feed the most soldiers.) Through the 19th century, the codfish's allure continued, and well into the 20th. In fact, the Grand Banks are the main reason France continues to hold on to the tiny island colonies of St-Pierre and Miquelon in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: it allows them to retain some fishing rights. Finally, Kurlansky takes us to the last few decades, with the decline of the cod fisheries, both here on the Grand Banks and elsewhere (for example, off the coast of Cape Cod - ever wonder why it is called that? - and in the North Sea). He does a good job of showing the tight links between culture, politics, and cod. Iceland in particular proves to be an interesting case study in the ways to handle (or not handle, as the case may be) a domestic fishery.

Throughout the book, while clearly well-researched and exceptionally informative, the tone is kept light. Kurlansky personalizes the story by telling anecdotes, including photographs, and re-printing various recipes for cod, both very old and very new. My only complaint with this book, in fact, is that it is a little dated. It was written in 1997, only five years after the Canadian moratorium was announced. In the book, Kurlansky states that in 1994, the Canadian government estimated the moratorium would last till at least the end of the century. Some experts opined it would be about 15 years before the stocks would be viable again. Well, both those dates have passed. I'm not sure what the state of the cod fishery in Canada is nowadays (though, granted, it shouldn't be too hard to find out), but I almost wish that Kurlansky would do an update to the book, putting some of those figures into a more current context.

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World seems at the surface a bland and uninteresting story. However from the start the topic of cod and its impact on major historical events is unraveled in a seemingly endless array of important details and facts on major historical events. Few seem to recognize or even understand the historical history behind cod and how it is responsible for major wars and long held prejudices against foreign peoples. Mark Kurlansky thoughtfully displays the cod and paints its significance in events like the formation of the Spanish Armada and even the discovery of the America’s. At first a seemingly useless book Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World proves to be an instant classic to anyone.

This book caught my attention from the start as the author creatively switches his perspective several times throughout the novel. His changing perspective and creative
literary features left me astounded as well did his historical yet exciting style of writing. From a seemingly empty knowledge of Cod the book transformed into an expert on the life and times of everything Cod. Most amazing was how Cod tied into historical events that I was learning in class but covering at the same time in this book.

Not only is Kurlansky transforming Cod into a interesting topic he does so in an unbiased and interesting fashion. Instead of collecting all his information from one group of people he balances the story out by describing how people in all parts of Cod life co exist and view each other. Kurlanksy describes the views of nature preservationists but quickly will transform his novel into a typical fisherman’s view where there is never enough fish to be caught and turned into quick money. This fair and even balance of ideas allows people of all ideas and beliefs to quickly pick this book up and start turning the pages.

My overall impression of the book is that Kurlansky has taken an overall bland subject and transformed it into something I a high school student can even enjoy. Although much of the story is geared toward history it is done in a fun and never boring way. Through completion of the book I must confess I was extremely satisfied by the book and my new found understanding of the fish cod and the roles it played throughout civilizations formation. I highly recommend this book and intend to read more books by Kurlanksy someday.

Hayden Braun
01/14/09