Food in Nineteenth-Century British History. Volumes I-IV

This collection is a four volume set of primary sources on British food history in the long nineteenth century (c.1789-1914). It will make the compelling case that food is central to understanding all aspects of nineteenth-century Britain, as food permeates every aspect of our society, economy, politics and culture. Food acquired special importance in Britain because of the Industrial Revolution, controversial famines in the colonies, rapid developments in food technologies that revolutionized production and the increasing influence of medicine, science and public health in our understandings of eating, digesting, diet and nutrition. Intertwined with these dramatic changes were reactions against modern ways of eating and a surge in interest in alternatives such as vegetarianism. The collection will offer a welcome, and vital, introduction to the rich primary source base available for students, educators and researchers.