A review by spookybeast
Empire of Cotton: A Global History by Sven Beckert

1.0

I guess I've been spoiled by cultural histories by Mary Roach, Bill Bryson, and Mark Kurlansky, who all write in a crisp, engaging, borderline informal style that is informative, engaging, and accessible. While I was very excited to pick up a copy of Empire of Cotton, and knew that the subject matter would require a huge scope and dense narrative, I was disappointed by the dry presentation. I wasn't expecting a little light reading, but this felt like a college textbook. I got bored and didn't finish it.