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Six Thousand Years of Bread: Its Holy and Unholy History | 
 enlarge | Author: H.e. Jacob
Creator: Peter Reinhart
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.77
You Save: $6.18 (41%)
New (25) Used (12) from $6.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 224002
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.1
ISBN: 1602391246
Dewey Decimal Number: 664.752309
EAN: 9781602391246
ASIN: 1602391246
Publication Date: November 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Bread's history has frequently been a recipe for disaster. The well-baked loaf--aside from being the main event in one of the major food groups--has caused wars, supernatural visions, festivals, and plagues. H. E. Jacob's celebratory book toasts bread from its earliest beginnings in Egypt, where it was one of the treasures entombed with the dead, to the author's own experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, where a bread made of sawdust kept him alive. The maker of paupers and kings, our daily bread and its evolutions are deliciously described in this illuminating text.
Product Description
Give us this day our daily bread. From ancient Egypt to modern times, bread is the essential food, the symbol of fundamental well-being. H.E. Jacob takes readers through the history of this staple, examining its role in politics, religion, and technology, and answering such questions as how bread caused Napoleon’s defeat. The fascinating voyage begins with “The Bread of Prehistoric Man,” and continues with an exploration of the plow, the discovery of baking, the Grecian passion for seed corn and reverence for the bread goddess Demeter, the significance of the Bible’s many references to bread, and how bread contributed to the outcome of World War I. In a poignant conclusion, Jacob describes his own experiences subsisting on bread made of sawdust in a Nazi concentration camp.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 The Rise of Western Civilization Through Bread January 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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 till relevant today. This book will be enjoyed by anyone who studies history, art, religion, sociology and related subjects.
 Rise to the occasion May 15, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Bread as a catalyst for civilization July 30, 2005
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
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.
Multi-faceted book-wow February 23, 2005
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
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.
A Unique Perspective on World History June 6, 2003
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
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.
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