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schwarmgiven's review
4.0
This was a very refreshing read for me--lots of great stuff on the history of beverages, the history of shopping, the history of British empire. Like an academic review on a lot of stuff I did not know. Each chapter feel like it was written by a different grad student with a real passion for their assigned topic. And overall the book was very solid, easy to read, informative, and enjoyable. Recommended.
rosekk's review against another edition
5.0
I had wanted a book on tea for ages. I picked up a few other books (some of which were really good, but not what I'd actually been looking for), but it wasn't until months later that I stumbled upon this one by accident. I liked the title straight away, and the contents live up to it's promising name.
It's not a light read by any stretch, and some might find the fairly direct academic style a bit dry. Personally, though, I liked the fact that there was no waffle; every sentence said something new and relevant, or served to stress a point.
The book offered a lot of detail on the tea industry, but it also had a lot to say on the wider impacts of empire and the evolution of modern consumer culture. It all served to flesh out a history I was vaguely aware of, but knew little about, and bring home the way our colonial past still impacts us on a daily basis.
It's not a light read by any stretch, and some might find the fairly direct academic style a bit dry. Personally, though, I liked the fact that there was no waffle; every sentence said something new and relevant, or served to stress a point.
The book offered a lot of detail on the tea industry, but it also had a lot to say on the wider impacts of empire and the evolution of modern consumer culture. It all served to flesh out a history I was vaguely aware of, but knew little about, and bring home the way our colonial past still impacts us on a daily basis.
beccakatie's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a really interesting look at social history through the imperial and business histories of tea. It used a variety of sources to paint a good picture of how tea shifted the social landscape, and how the perceptions of tea themselves changed.
I would have liked to know a little more about Britain’s discovery of tea from China and attempts to take the plants and manufacturing techniques.
However, I did appreciate Rappoport’s acknowledgement of the limitations of her study, and her invitation to other historians to build on the field.
I would have liked to know a little more about Britain’s discovery of tea from China and attempts to take the plants and manufacturing techniques.
However, I did appreciate Rappoport’s acknowledgement of the limitations of her study, and her invitation to other historians to build on the field.
charles_reding's review
5.0
Interesting look into the economic history of the British Empire through the lens of one of its most popular consumer goods. Rappaport charts a course of Imperial economic trends from the development of a protectionist system in the 18th century to the 1960s and the neoliberal world beyond.
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pierogi_of_doom's review
4.0
It's quite detailed, which I think makes it dry in places. A knack for remembering names and places will help you here.
TL;DR: Complex flavour with a dryness throughout. Otherwise a well-rounded finish.
TL;DR: Complex flavour with a dryness throughout. Otherwise a well-rounded finish.
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