
Barbecue
The History of an American Institution
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Narrated by:
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David Holloway
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By:
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Robert F. Moss
About this listen
Barbecue: The History of an American Institution draws on hundreds of sources to document the evolution of barbecue from its origins among Native Americans to its present status as an icon of American culture. This is the story not just of a dish but of a social institution that helped shape the many regional cultures of the United States. It begins with British colonists' adoption of barbecuing techniques from Native Americans in the 16th and 17th centuries, moves to barbecue's establishment as the preeminent form of public celebration in the 19th century, and is carried through to barbecue's iconic status today.
From the very beginning, barbecues have been powerful social magnets, drawing together people from a wide range of classes and geographic backgrounds. Barbecue has played a key role in three centuries of American history, both reflecting and influencing the direction of an evolving society. By tracing the story of barbecue from its origins to today, Barbecue: The History of an American Institution traces the very thread of American social history.
©2010 The University of Alabama Press (P)2012 Redwood AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall
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Performance
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Sourdough bread fueled the labor that built the Egyptian pyramids. The Roman Empire distributed free sourdough loaves to its citizens to maintain political stability. More recently, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, sourdough bread baking became a global phenomenon as people contended with being confined to their homes and sought distractions from their fear, uncertainty, and grief. In Sourdough Culture, environmental science professor Eric Pallant shows how throughout history, sourdough bread baking has always been about survival.
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What an awesome book!
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Performance
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A rare view of rural America
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In thinking about her native land, Julia Reed quotes another Southern writer, Willie Morris, who said, “It’s the juxtapositions that get you down here.” These juxtapositions are, for Julia Reed, the soul of the South and in her warmhearted and funny new audiobook, South Toward Home, she chronicles her adventures through the highs and the lows of Southern life - the Delta hot tamale festival, a masked ball, a rollicking party in a boat on a sand bar, scary Christian billboards, and the southern affection for the lowly possum.
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Julia Reed IS the SOUTH
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Critic reviews
What listeners say about Barbecue
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Some Guy
- 04-03-22
Just wanted to grill, man.
I wasn't expecting quite this much intertwining of politics and barbecue. I had hoped for more of a technical history of BBQ, but I can't say I'm at all disappointed with the cultural aspects BBQ played a role in. It was interesting nonetheless, and there was plenty of technical history to go along with the political. I didn't feel as though the author presented much of a bias, only that of general anti-racism when discussing the pre Civil War era and beyond. The topic always came back to BBQ no matter what; the author never diverted too far from the main subject.
Holloway has an excellent voice for this subject, I found him very easy to listen to when directly narrating. That said, all of the quotes he acted out in a very exaggerated fashion. Some of the quotes from the 1700's and earlier are understandably difficult to translate from word to voice, but I still found it jarring and hammed up (forgive me). Again, though, I think he did a great job overall and would be happy to hear more narrations from him.
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- Austin
- 01-02-23
Great for those that love BBQ.
It's a good book. I listened to it after Aaron Franklin mentioned it in his book. it's informative but it at times drags on and feels more like a political text book.
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