The Samurai's Daughter

Book Description

A new crime–thriller full of suspense from Sujata Massey, the acclaimed author of The Bride's Kimono and The Floating Girl.

Antiques dealer Rei Shimura is in San Francisco visiting her parents and researching a personal project tracing the story of 100 years of Japanese decorative arts through her own family's experience. Her work is interrupted by the arrival of her boyfriend, lawyer Hugh Glendinning, who is involved in a class action lawsuit on behalf of aged Asian nationals forced to engage in slave labour for Japanese companies during

World War II.

These two projects suddenly intertwine when one of Hugh's clients is murdered and Rei begins to uncover unsavoury facts about her own family's actions during the war. Rei unravels the truth, finds the killer, and at the same time learns about family ties and loyalty and the universal desire to avoid blame.

Customer Reviews:

As you know Bob..........2007-02-18

This book suffers from chronic "As you know Bob" syndrome. Like a bad science fiction movie the characters have to tell each other all the backstory to fill the viewer in on what has, is and is going to happen. It makes for really stilted dialogue that makes you grit your teeth at it's ridiculousness. "As you know Bob, the alien species first landed on Earth five trillion years ago and formed a colony of lepers underground that now want to take over the world and the only way we can stop them is to play yodelling music because, as you know Bob, only yodelling can destroy the alien lepers." I mean, seriously, you know the information is relevant, but please don't lecture me.

Reading this book made me realize how much mastery it takes to unobtrusively weave backstory and historical facts into a narrative. Here it was so heavyhanded that I felt like I was being slapped in the face with Japanese history every time I turned the page, which is a sad reaction given that I only read the book because I was interested in the Japanese historical aspect of it!!!

It's too bad, I read a previous book of hers and I thought it wasn't bad. Not great, but not bad. Here, I think she was trying to meet a deadline and was rushing through it and, as you know Bob, haste makes waste.

The Samurai Might Disown His Daughter . . . .......2007-01-10

First, a confession: I am not the biggest fan of detective novels, apart from Agatha Christie for whom I have a peculiar and abiding love. Nonetheless, one of my New Years' resolutions was that I would try to read a wider variety of genres, rather than simply sticking to my usual diet of science-fiction and fantasy. With that aim in mind, when I was at the library this week and saw The Samurai's Daughter on the shelf of new books, I thought I would try it. I am interested in Japanese culture in general, and the idea of a detective series set in Japan and America intrigued me, especially as Massey has been praised for her insight into both cultures. Finally, I was curious to see how the novel would handle the sensitive and controversial topic of "comfort women" -- women from China and Korea forced to serve as prostitutes for the occupying Japanese forces -- and the call for them to be paid reparations by either the Japanese government or the national zaibatsu that used them as labour once they were no longer desirable.

That said, I did not find The Samurai's Daughter a good book. It failed to engage with the complex issues that it raised with sufficient depth or sophistication, and it lacked the necessary historical grounding that would have made it truly powerful. Apart from one or two admittedly harrowing details about the lives of comfort women and other indentured labourers, the novel felt as it could have been about any corrupt and evil corporation. It could have involved cigarettes or nuclear waste or even sexual harrassment. It felt to me as if Massey was tentative about engaging with the real horror of what had happened, and the need for the Japanese government to admit their guilt and make restitution.

Moreover, the novel was weak from a technical perspective. The characters were unconvincing. They were cardboard cutouts who were given one or two significant personality traits in an attempt to give them depth, but who failed to live and breathe and convince me of their reality. Similarly, the prose was stilted and clumsy. Massey's descriptions were flat and banal, and almost inevitably involve food and eating for some reason. I frequently felt like I was reading a menu, rather than a novel. She also has a tendency to go into long, didactic explanations about Japanese culture. Many passages are simply information dumps that would not be out of place in a guide book. The weakness of the writing was most evident when it came to the character's dialogue. I understand that Massey was trying to capture the different flavours of Scottish English, American English, and Japanese, but she does not strike me as having a good ear for dialogue and all of the dialects came off as equally unconvincing.

Nonetheless, I have since heard that The Samurai's Daughter is the weakest novel in the series, and I shall certainly try at least one of the others before consigning them all to the category of "good idea but poor execution."

Wow. I mean, Wow..............2005-09-23

..... this book...... SUCKED!

I am a voracious reader of mysteries, especially mysteries that involve other cultures. Wanna read a good mystery? Read Bangkok 8 by John Burdett, read anything by Peter Lovesey or Henning Mankell, definitely read Out by Natsuo Kirino, read anything by John Sanford.

Granted, I didn't get past page 50, but this felt like it was written by a 17-year-old girl just trying her hand at writing..... Everything was "telling" instead of "showing". In no way was the reader brought into the story and the people. The language was stilted and the characters were cardboard cutouts. I actually found myself guffawing at the inanities that abounded. I'm a San Franciscian and am embarrassed that it took place (or the part I read took place) in my wonderful city.

Please, there are so many other good mysteries to read. I would bypass this one completely. I don't normally write reviews of books --- but I had to for this one, because I feel so strongly about it. Please, please, please read the ones I suggested above if you really care about interesting, fascinating mysteries.

As much a novel as a mystery.......2005-09-06

This book is a bit slower-paced than some of Massey's other works (and I've read all of the series). The subject matter took center stage in this book, and probably rightly so, since the subject was Japanese war crimes during WWII, particularly the issue of reparations for the so-called "comfort women," very young woman of other Asian countries, who were forced to "service" Japanese soldiers or other slave labor. It's all very well to be enthusiastic about many aspects of Japanese culture, but I'm sure many readers wrote to Massey to point out the dark side of Japanese history, one which the Japanese powers-that-be have refused to accept responsibility for and tried to conceal (more so than the Germans have, for example) from their own people. If you're really gung ho about Japan, this dose of reality may make you squirm, but I think it's a point well worth making.

The book begins at Christmas time, with Rei Shimura visiting her San Francisco parents with her boyfriend Hugh. He is working on a class-action case on behalf of survivors of Japanese war crimes who will be suing the major Japanese corporations who benefited from these crimes, particularly slave labor. He takes Rei along in a visit to his chief complainant, an elderly Filipino woman living in poverty in San Francisco. Not long afterwards, a murder occurs, although it appears to the police to be a natural death. Rei doesn't think so, and after she returns to Japan for the New Year's festivities, she continues to investigate. Hugh is also in Japan with her, and Rei becomes convinced that someone on the inside -- either of Hugh's group or the megacorporations they're suing -- is the killer.

Since Rei is also researching her family history (Japanese side of the family), there are digressions into the events leading up to the Second World War which are interesting to me but slowed down the pace of the book.

Still, this book is well worth reading, even for those who like their mysteries with more mystery and less digression.

So so.......2005-08-21

She has lost some of the charm... needs to work on more depth into the figures and also into the story... sorry

Daughters Of The Dragon: Samurai Bullets TPB (Daughters of the Dragon)

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Graphic SF Reader
The beginning of an Era...
Daughters Of The Dragon
Daughters Of The Dragon/Samurai Bullets
Daughters of the Dragon

Daughters Of The Dragon: Samurai Bullets TPB (Daughters of the Dragon)
Justin Gray , Jimmy Palmiotti , and Khari Evans
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785119442

Book Description

Bounty hunters Misty Knight and Colleen Wing star in this sexy action thriller, the latest project from writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti - an entertaining mix of gritty action, biting comedy and sharp visuals provided by talented newcomer Khari Evans. When four less-than "super" villains - Whirlwind, 8-Ball, Humbug and Freezer Burn - skip bail and team up to rob the penthouse apartment of a wealthy publisher, they get more than they bargained for. Misty Knight and Colleen Wing are on the case. Unfortunately, so are a host of villains and assassins looking to recover what was stolen. Collects Daughters of the Dragon #1-6.

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Gray and Palmiotti do a fine job here, as they bring back, and, of course, sex up a bit Misty Knight and Colleen Wing.

Some 70s homage action, and some pretty low rent superheroes and villains combine to make this a whole lot of fun.

A bit of a light spot in all that 90s scowling Civil War stuff.

The beginning of an Era..........2007-06-28

In 1986, Marvel published a mini series called "Longshot" and introduced fandom to the incredible talents of a soon-to-be superstar artist, named Arthur Adams.

In 2006, history is repeated in "Daughters of the Dragon: Samurai Bullets" as Marvel showcases the incredible talent of artist Khari Evans, who is quickly becoming a fan favorite artist due to his devastatingly awesome drawing style and gorgeous ladies.

Don't miss out on this 5 star TPB!

Daughters Of The Dragon.......2007-01-05

glad to see it collected...and for all of you who enjoy these characters. hey, i think its fun. lol

JIMMY

Daughters Of The Dragon/Samurai Bullets.......2006-12-15

In comic books, limbo doesn't exist anymore. Every character you can think of has been brought back. You don't have to know Spider-Man or The Avengers or The X-Men to be allowed in the Marvel Universe anymore. You just have to come back Cool. Like Misty Knight and Colleen Wing.
I had only recently probed the Daughters' origins as collected in The Essential Iron Fist, when the DOD mini-series--now collected as this Samurai Bullets graphic novel--came into existence. No longer are the duo in the capable hands of people like Chris Claremont, John Byrne, or the incomparable Marshall Rogers (hey, sue me, Rogers redesigned the coolest dude ever--Deadshot...but I digress into a Villains United review or a Batman: Strange Apparitions review. Sorry). But if Claremont has lost touch with Knight & Wing, that's okay, we've got Gray, Palmiotti and Evans making us say "move over, Elektra". And except for a few nitpicks, Samurai Bullets is terrific stuff.
Contrary to other opinion, no one steals the show--not from these ladies. Certainly not Freezer Burn (be serious!). Colleen is still as tough as ever; she used to slash up Angar, now she slashes up Razorfist (though even thirty years later the actual slash is still artfully concealed, out of concern for the faint-of-heart, I guess). Misty is still touchy about her missing arm (compensating, apparently, with Big Hair, which, ironically, was not present in the seventies!), and she still has a thing for Iron Fist, whose appearance in this story could have been dropped. But if Iron Fist is wasted here, shorter drop-bys by the likes of the Punisher, Tony Stark, Orka, the Rhino, the Trapster--and most especially the Mole Man, who gets the best line of the book--really make this an unpredictable romp. Where else do you see the Hand kill a cockroach, or the Jester keep his yap shut and just brawl, I ask you!
Hmmm. If there is a show stealer, she's Ricadonna, scheming, Daughter-smacking villainess extraordinaire. Hmmm, I'm thinking Rosamund Pike as Ricadonna for the film, so she can be breakout star of the year all over again. Speaking of breakout stars, Khari Evans's art is eye-snatching all through, but some of the fight scenes do appear a bit wonky or awkward, with combatants in motion (ie. flying through the air) in artful ways that don't always deliver a clear pay-off (ie. let's see more of someone actually klunking someone else, rather than just the acrobatics). Motion not always fluid enough, IMO. But that's okay!--Everyone looks great, especially the ladies!
Total fun, without Spider-Man. Though his name gets dropped a lot. So does Blizzard's, once, in a backhanded kind of way. (No more Freezer Burn, PLEASE!--give me back Blizzard. I liked Blizzard.)

Daughters of the Dragon.......2006-11-17

What a great job Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have done in updating the near forgotten Marvel characters Misty Knight and Colleen Wing. It's a rip-roaring adventure with plenty of grit, action and adventure, all with tongue firmly placed in cheek. It's fun to see Misty and Colleen go up against an established Marvel villain such as Rhino, but Gray and Palmiotti really ratchet up the fun with the main villains Whirlwind, 8-Ball, Humbug and Freezer Burn. They practically steal the show.

For those who can remember and enjoy the great 70s exploitation films such as FOXXY BROWN and SWITCHBLADE SISTERS, you'll get a real kick out of this. Similar to what they did with JONAH HEX, Gray and Palmiotti have revived great characters from the past in a truly grand manner.

The art by Khari Evans is excellent and Christina Strain's colors are outstanding.

This book has something for everyone, and if you liked DANGER GIRL, you'll love this.

A Daughter of the Samurai: How a Daughter of Feudal Japan, Living Hundred of Years in One Generation, Became a Modern American

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A Daughter of the Samurai: How a Daughter of Feudal Japan, Living Hundred of Years in One Generation, Became a Modern American
Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto
Manufacturer: Doubleday, Doran
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00086DWM4

Average customer rating:

A Daughter of the Samurai
A Charming and Informative Book!
A Charming and Informative Book!
A glimpse into the cultural foundation of Japan
Charming book, beautifully written, I wanted it to continue.

A Daughter of the Samurai
Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0898753481
Release Date: 2003-08-04

Book Description

A Daughter of the Samurai tells the true story of a samurai's daughter, brought up in the strict traditions of feudal Japan, who was sent to America to meet her future husband. An engrossing, haunting tale that gives us insight into an almost forgotten age.

Madam Sugimoto was born in Japan, not in the sunny southern part of the country which has given it the name of "The Land of Flowers," but in the northern province of Echigo which is bleak and cold and so cut off from the rest of the country by mountains that in times past it had been considered fit only for political prisoners or exiles.

Her father was a Samurai, with high ideals of what was expected of a Samurai's family. His hopes were concentrated in his son until the son refused to marry the girl for whom he was destined and ran off to America. After that all that was meant for him fell to the lot of the little wavy-haired Etsu who writes here so delightfully of the things that happened in their childhood days in far-away Japan.

Customer Reviews:

A Daughter of the Samurai.......2003-09-22

A great book if you are interested in old Japanese ways. Well written, but not hard to understand. Would recomend to anyone

A Charming and Informative Book!.......2001-03-15

Unfortunately, out of print - but seek it out any way you can. A fascinating, wonderful, and truthful account of the life of a daughter of the Samurai class, which had existed for centuries, just at the time when it was beginning its decline. Much of what you read in this book will explain the behaviour of modern-day Japanese. As an American living in Japan, that has proved invaluable. The book is well-written, focused, imaginative, whimsical, and resourceful, just like the author herself. If you can get your hands on a copy, be prepared to fall in love with Etsu-bo!

A Charming and Informative Book!.......2001-03-15

A glimpse into the cultural foundation of Japan.......2000-05-02

I was completely charmed by this beautifully written autobiography! I couldn't put it down! Not only did I learn some rich social history of Japan, but I was able to see into the Japanese heart for the first time. Although many of the customs mentioned are now outdated, they show the foundation that shaped and molded the Japanese people of today. I can now say that I have a much clearer understanding of the Japanese. Apart from what I learned of Japan, I also got a glimpse of America and how we haven't changed much over the years in our attitudes. I saw into the heart of the immigrant and the adjustments and readjustments they must face. I was awed and inspired!

Charming book, beautifully written, I wanted it to continue........1998-12-07

I didn't want this book to finish so soon. I loved the style and became involved in the characters. I want to know how her children re-adjusted back to life in the USA - how did she manage as a single Japanese mother alone in the USA.

Nothing tumultuos happens, no sex, no violence - just a peek into the not-so distant past!

Especially interesting for me since I am a Brit who has lived in the USA and now living in Japan.

Can anyone reccomend more books of this calibre?

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A daughter of the Samurai: By Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto ;
Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto
Manufacturer: Doubleday, Page
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00087YSE4

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A daughter of the samurai: How a daughter of feudal Japan, living hundreds of years in one generation, became a modern American
Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto
Manufacturer: Doubleday, Doran
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000868Z3A

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A Daughter of the Samurai
Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GLG6TC

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But the Ships Are Sailing--- Sailing---

Manufacturer: The Hokuseido Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000CGFNDG

Product Description

Mrs. Kiyooka's story of her own experience in those difficult years after the war when she found herself suddenly stripped of property and her husband ill. She took a job in a billet for the Prosecutors of the International War Tribunal.

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A DAUGHTER OF THE SAMURAI
ETSU INAGAKI SUGIMOTO
Manufacturer: HURST & BLACKETT LTD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S4T9HI

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A DAUGHTER OF THE SAMURAI
Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto
Manufacturer: Tuttle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HW9G6A

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DRAGON MAGAZINE VOLUME VI NO. 77 MAY 1982
No Author
Manufacturer: DraGON PUBLISHING
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NYPTWM

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Dragon Magazine, No. 77

Manufacturer: Random House Inc (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394533135

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Rhetoric. Nice Rhetoric, But Still Rhetoric.

important information

Very Helpful

Finally, someone who understands Me

Finally, someone who understands Me

The Taming of the Chew: A Holistic Guide to Stopping Compulsive Eating
Denise Lamothe
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Life Is Hard, Food Is Easy: The 5-Step Plan to Overcome Emotional Eating and Lose Weight on Any Diet

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The Hunger Within : A Twelve Week Guided Journey from Compulsive Eating to Recovery

The Rules of "Normal" Eating: A Commonsense Approach for Dieters, Overeaters, Undereaters, Emotional Eaters, and Everyone in Between!

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RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0142002372

Book Description

Psychologist and doctor of holistic health Denise Lamothe presents a complete program to combat overeating, showing compulsive eaters how to take control of their dependence on and obsession with food. Lamothe targets the enemy as "the Chew," which she describes as the "hurtful, persistent, out-of-control part of each of us." The Chew is what keeps overeaters from sticking to a dietary plan and can compel them to go on eating binges. Lamothe shows how to tame the Chew by explaining the problem from psychological, social, spiritual, and biological perspectives; presenting her comprehensive plan for holistic healing and change; and showing how to avoid relapses by building self-esteem.

Customer Reviews:

Rhetoric. Nice Rhetoric, But Still Rhetoric........2007-07-27

I was disappointed with this book. [...]
There is nice information included in "The Taming Of The Chew." Nice. Like talking to an understanding friend. But this book just isn't useful. If you are serious about ending compulsive eating, don't look for it inside this book.

I'm fifty-eight years old and never had a weight problem in my life . . . until two years ago. Suddenly I found myself snacking and cleaning my plate (which I'd never done before). It was making me angry at myself, and left me feeling sick. And I began to gain some weight. Two therapists could not figure out what was going on, so I began reading books on the subject.

The best book I've found concerning compulsive and obsessive eating is "The Hunger Within." [...]Again, "The Taming Of The Chew" is very much like talking to a friend. But if you want quick, real-life help, try "The Hunger Within."

important information.......2007-03-26

this book is very helpful for the many who overeat, or have a less than healthy relationship to food. the sections cover many of the most pertinent topics in an "digestible" format.

Very Helpful.......2007-01-11

This book was very helpful. I think anyone with an addiction could get something out of the book. I strongly recommend it.

Finally, someone who understands Me.......2003-06-01

For once a book that is NOT about themselves but ABOUT Me and everyone else like me. This covers everything. I feel like I am reading about myself. I believe I will finally understand myself and learn how to take care of myself. Maybe I will not want foods that aren't good for my body. I recommend this book to everyone who is struggling with weight loss & closet eating like myself. If you really want to lose the weight and keep it off and no longer be a closet eater - READ THIS BOOK. I'm so glad I purchased it.

Finally, someone who understands Me.......2003-06-01

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Wonderful for a newbie food historian

Excellent resource for a medieval-living enthusiast.

Saffron, Almonds and Blackbirds in Pies, oh my! Great Read

Excellent all the way to the stomach...

A great read, as well as a useful cookbook

The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy
Odile Redon , Francoise Sabban , and Silvano Serventi
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226706850

Book Description

The Medieval Kitchen is a delightful work in which historians Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, and Silvano Serventi rescue from dark obscurity the glorious cuisine of the Middle Ages. Medieval gastronomy turns out to have been superb—a wonderful mélange of flavor, aroma, and color. Expertly reconstructed from fourteenth- and fifteenth-century sources and carefully adapted to suit the modern kitchen, these recipes present a veritable feast. The Medieval Kitchen vividly depicts the context and tradition of authentic medieval cookery.

"This book is a delight. It is not often that one has the privilege of working from a text this detailed and easy to use. It is living history, able to be practiced by novice and master alike, practical history which can be carried out in our own homes by those of us living in modern times."—Wanda Oram Miles, The Medieval Review

"The Medieval Kitchen, like other classic cookbooks, makes compulsive reading as well as providing a practical collection of recipes."—Heather O'Donoghue, Times Literary Supplement

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful for a newbie food historian.......2005-10-08

I adore this book. I love the layout for the recipes. The Authors provide the original source, a brief discusion of why they did what they did, and a modern version for the reader to try.

Although I didn't always agree with how they interrpted the medieval recipe, it was always a matter of food ratios not scholarship.

Excellent resource for a medieval-living enthusiast........2005-03-25

Written by noted food historians and with a foreward written by one of the foremost historians of our time, this book is an excellent resource for anybody with an interest in food history.

Like other works, such as Pleyn Delit, the original recipes in their original language are given. Like other cookbooks, this one groups recipes by type (fish, meats, sauces, etc.). Unlike other works, however, this one has an appendix that gives complete lists of each source's recipes, allowing you to see, at a glance, all the recipes taken from a given work. This is, to me, the book's biggest strength. I can access all the recipes taken from the "Libro de arte coquinaria" and "Le Menagier de Paris", for example. There are even some unpublished sources, such a manuscript stored at New York's Pierpont Morgan Library with a couple of recipes of note listed.

The few recipes from this book that I've tried have been stellar--tasty and easy to make, such as the herb soup and the fruit-based meat sauces. Most of it's accessible to regular diners. Some of the recipes sound absolutely mouthwatering--"Summertime Cerulean Blue Sauce", for example, which is colored by blueberries and flavored by ground almonds and ginger, and officially used on meat, but would probably be absolutely delicious on desserts.

Among its other resources, the book also lists mail-order sources for some of the more exotic spices and ingredients, such as the verjuice called for in many recipes. It also has good information about the history of the region, with its foreward and the historical notes on most of the recipes--what dish to serve it with, other recipes it's similar to, and more. Its index is quite complete, also a boon to a history wonk.

I've found this book a tremendous help to my studies, as well as a great cookbook on its own. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anybody. My only complaint is that it isn't longer and more comprehensive. Because it concentrates on two countries, France and Italy, and covers a couple of centuries, its 150-some-odd recipes are, of necessity, a mere sprinkling, a mere tantalizing taste, of a complete look at the cuisine of the time. I'd love these authors to make a complete Italian Renaissance cookbook with hundreds of recipes and way more information, and a second volume for France--each book twice as long as this one.

Saffron, Almonds and Blackbirds in Pies, oh my! Great Read.......2004-11-22

`The Medieval Kitchen', written originally in French by Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban, and Silvano Serventi, is the best of the three books I have reviewed so far on the cuisines of Europe before the arrival of New World produce. This volume surpasses both `The Medieval Cookbook' by Maggie Black and `Pleyn Delit' by Constance B. Hieatt, Brenda Hosington, and Sharon Butler in technical scholarship and in it's interest to the non-professional foodie, historian, or general reader.

The book is organized by chapters which are very similar to a contemporary cookbook, covering Soups and Pastas; Porees and Vegetables; Meats cooked in Sauces; Roasted Meats; Fish; Pies and Tarts; Sauces; Eggs; Fritters and Breads; and Sweetmeats. The selection of recipes is much more interesting than in `The Medieval Cookbook' and the `arrangement' is as good or better than `Pleyn Delit', with much more background given for each individual recipe than either of the other two books. See my review of `Pleyn Delit' for a complete list of interesting things to do with these books.

The most impressive contribution of `The Medieval Kitchen' is its generalizations about medieval cooking in 50 pages of introductory essays on aspects of these 600-year old French and Italian cuisines. The highlight of this overview is the observation that 14th and 15th century European cooking was in love with spices in general and the `cookie spices', cinnamon and cloves, in particular. One may think that this is due to the influence of contact with the Moslem world, especially as the use of these spices is still strong in Sicily and Spain, but the authors state that this influence is overstated. Interest in spices was home bred. My other reviewed works show the very common use of saffron in recipes, but does not explain the broad use of a very expensive ingredient. `The Medieval Kitchen' clearly explains that while little attention was paid to odors directly, the color of food was given an important place in the preparation of medieval recipes. One can almost predict the great interest Europeans would have in the bright red of tomatoes and chiles from the New World.

Unlike today, where so many provisions are prepared and prepackaged by national or international companies, it is surprising to see that the medieval city had lots of shops run by foodstuff specialists, the only trace in today's France may be the boulanger for bread, patisserie for pastries, and the chocolatier for chocolate candies. The spice merchant, in particular, was a very important food specialist. A pale shadow in Europe of this merchant's work is the quatre epices and herbes de Provence. In the last 10 years, there seems to be a great growth in prepared seasoning mixes. I wonder if Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse and McCormick's and Durkee are simply reviving a 600-year-old practice by bottling and marketing spice mixes.

While the authors do not elaborate on this point, as it deals with a period after their chosen subject, they state that the emphasis on spices was replaced (except for pepper) by an emphasis on the use of local herbs such as lavender, mint, thyme and marjoram and by use of a broader range of cooking fats and oils in the seventeenth century.

As the Medieval period is quite rightly pictured as a period when progress in science some fine arts may have slipped from highs achieved in the ancient Roman and Greek worlds, this does not mean medieval domestic arts and crafts were not unsophisticated. In fact, one may be impressed by exactly how sophisticated their cooking techniques were, especially in the absence of convection ovens and electric ranges. Their emphasis on constantly processing and straining to achieve an especially smooth preparation reminds me of a description of Thomas Keller's kitchen at the French Laundry. On top of routinely elaborate techniques performed by a great range of specialists rivaling Escoffier's famous brigade system, there are also the very special preparations headlined by the entirely historical feat of baking `four and 20 blackbirds' into a pie. Not only was this actually done, the book tells us that it was common for banquets of the nobility, and it tells us how it was done.

As readable and as informative this book is for the casual foodie, it is a very serious work of scholarship which gets everything right, even those things which my two previous subjects did poorly. The method for citing sources is much better and, even though the book as a whole is translated from the French, all the original recipes in their original Latin, Medieval French or Italian, or Old English are supplied, along with modern English translations of these texts, followed by modern culinary interpretations of the recipes. Even on so small a matter as the selection of color prints, this volume picks much more interesting plates than `The Medieval Cookbook'.

The translator, the authors, or the publisher (University of Chicago Press) also did an excellent job of making the work available to an American audience. All measurements are in both metric and English units and many solids amounts are given by both weight and volume. Culinary unit conversions are typically very gross, as, for example, it is much easier to measure 1 liter for 4 cups rather than 946 milliliters, which is a much more accurate conversion. Even the sources are up to date American companies such as Dean & Delucca, Penzey's Spices, D'Artagnan, and King Arthur Flour.

While this book is superior in every way to the other two works cited, they are not superseded by this work, as they concentrate on English dishes while `The Medieval Kitchen' concentrates on France and Italy. In fact, it is useful to compare recipes in the three books to see how much they had in common.

Highly recommended as a source for a medieval theme entertainment, historical interest, and an understanding of realities of medieval life.

Excellent all the way to the stomach..........2003-03-06

This book is great. I went to a so called medieval banquet one semester. Besides the fact that it was pretty lame, the food stunk. (They gave no atmosphere to the whole thing. It was just a wretched overpriced meal.)

All they served was alcohol to drink. Neither my husband nor I drink, so we went dry the whole night. There were a few others like us. Then almost all of the dishes were made with alcohol. And I mean SOAKED in it. Not the kind of meals where most of the alcohol was cooked off. Then the main dish was a skimpy serving of oysters. Needless to say, our palates were not satiated.

Those fools really could have used this book. There are tons of MEAT recipes from chicken to hare. There are numerous soups that aren't made with beer. There are desserts besides rim soaked cake. Lo and behold, there is even almond milk for the non-alcoholic.

The front of the book has some menu suggestions and the back is great for the historian. There is a fair sized section with the recipes in the original language. It's fun to pick through the old wording.

This truly is a wonderful book and the recipes taste great. A must have for anyone who wants to put together a REAL medieval dinner.

A great read, as well as a useful cookbook.......2002-04-25

I'm one of those people who "read cookbooks like novels". This is definitely a worthwhile read. And the recipes I've tried have been very good.

One of the spice blends that they give has become a staple in my kitchen, the "Sweet spices for many good and fine foods", which I love to use on salmon before cooking. I did make one change (which the authors note many sources recommending) to season "to the taste of the lord" (that's me) -- I changed the bay leaf to dried orange peel. Try it.

Another recipe I will definitely make again is the Asparagus with Saffron.

My one quibble is that the recipes are almost exclusively French or Italian, with very few from England, and none from any other culture. But, since the authors themselves hail from the first two countries, this is perhaps understandable.

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The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy
Odile; Sabban, Francoise; Serventi, Silvano Redon
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPQVL8

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