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Paul H. Freedman
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Out of the East: Spices and the Medieval Imagination Paperback – Illustrated, March 3, 2009

by Paul Freedman (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 87 ratings
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How medieval Europe’s infatuation with expensive, fragrant, and exotic spices led to an era of colonial expansion and the discovery of new worlds

The demand for spices in medieval Europe was extravagant and was reflected in the pursuit of fashion, the formation of taste, and the growth of luxury trade. It inspired geographical and commercial exploration ,as traders pursued such common spices as pepper and cinnamon and rarer aromatic products, including ambergris and musk. Ultimately, the spice quest led to imperial missions that were to change world history.

This engaging book explores the demand for spices: why were they so popular, and why so expensive?  Paul Freedman surveys the history, geography, economics, and culinary tastes of the Middle Ages to uncover the surprisingly varied ways that spices were put to use--in elaborate medieval cuisine, in the treatment of disease, for the promotion of well-being, and to perfume important ceremonies of the Church. Spices became symbols of beauty, affluence, taste, and grace, Freedman shows, and their expense and fragrance drove the engines of commerce and conquest at the dawn of the modern era.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    275 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  4. Publication date
    March 3, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    9.1 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0300151357
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0300151350
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[An] absorbing new history, in which [Freedman] uses food to get and keep our attention."―Corby Kummer, Yale Alumni Magazine

"Written in an approachable style with intriguing images and inset quotes from primary sources, this scholarly work will also appeal to general readers. . . . Recommended."―Choice

"This is a magnificent, very well written, and often entertaining book that is also a major contribution to European economic and social history, and indeed one with a truly global perspective."—John H. Munro, American Historical Review

"Meticulously researched but wearing its erudition lightly."—Sharon Kinoshita, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies

"Freedman shows that spices are central to understanding the Middle Ages—they motivated the whole trading system of the Mediterranean world."—Christopher Dyer, University of Leicester




"This is a magical book. With scintillating learning and imagination, Paul Freedman has conjured up a medieval Europe shot through with the magic of strong tastes and smells. He has uncovered a craving—a craving for spices which would eventually drive Europeans to the edges of the world in their pursuit. Freedman has done more than uncover the taste buds of a forgotten Europe. He has rewritten a fateful chapter in the history of the world."—Peter Brown, Princeton University



"Like the spices—flavors, perfumes, and medicinals—so urgently sought by medieval populations, Out of the East is a consummate delight. I loved Freedman’s droll account of the debate over the precise geographical location of paradise (off the Atlantic? Northeast of India?), and of the tireless travelers who helped bring the spices of the East to European tables. At last, the voyages of Columbus make perfect sense. Spices!"—Marion Nestle, New York University



"Paul Freedman combines his formidable scholarship with story-telling skills to offer a unique history of spice. He has taken our ancient fascination with spice as offering the taste of paradise, and as an elixir of life to paint a rich canvas of life in medieval Europe, dispelling in the process many commonly held myths. Out of the East is a riveting story of many adventures launched in the quest of spice and how it shaped Europeansocial life. Freedman serveshistory as a delectable banquet."—Nayan Chanda, author of Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization

About the Author

Paul Freedman is Chester D. Tripp Professor of History, Yale University. His previous books include Images of the Medieval Peasant, The Origins of Peasant Servitude in Medieval Catalonia, and Food: The History of Taste.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press; Illustrated edition (March 3, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 275 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300151357
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300151350
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.1 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 87 ratings

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Paul H. Freedman

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
87 global ratings
Exceeds Expectations
5 Stars
Exceeds Expectations
I am really impressed, the book was marked used and very good and it was like new. I was expecting some ware and tare but there was none.
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Top reviews from the United States

Wanda B. Red
5.0 out of 5 stars A Savory Book
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2009
Verified Purchase
This is one of the best cross-over books (appealing to both academic and lay audiences) that I've ever read. It unobtrusively explodes many myths about the "unsophisticated" Middle Ages while providing a well informed picture of medieval food and economic practices. It is a genuine pleasure to read. Freedman is an engaging writer who never wastes his reader's time (no academic jargon here). A wonderful book.

A little quibble: Why is his name listed as "Professor Paul Freedman"? Yes, he is a professor, but so are many authors, and that professional fact does not usually get registered as part of an author's name; this makes it sound like his first name is "Professor."
18 people found this helpful
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Evelyn
4.0 out of 5 stars Less boring than I thought it would be
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2020
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I had to buy this book for a class and read the whole thing. Based on the title and description, I was expecting to be wholly bored for however long it took me to read it, and thus, my expectations were set pretty low. Therefore, I was quite stunned to find that this book was actually engaging, and I do not regret reading it whatsoever. Given that it was a required read, I would have given it two stars or less had it not been so surprisingly entertaining. Granted, I would never in my life have thought to pick it up, much less read through it, on my own, but despite the daunting number of pages (which was only so because I thought it would be so uninteresting), I found myself actually interested in reading it and learning about what it was attempting to communicate to me.

However, if you are not interested in mythology, history, or economics, this book will likely not be your forte, and I will definitely say that if you are looking for an interesting introduction to one of the aforementioned topics, this book is not a good beginners' read. However, if you have some background in or are exceptionally interested in one or more of those topics (or if you are actually interested in the spice trade of the "medieval" time period), I would highly recommend this book.
16 people found this helpful
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Lucinda
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting information, adequately presented
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2023
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I had to force myself to continue reading, although the book was interesting. This is the sort of book I might read for a chapter or two, every few months.

Of course, if medieval food/medicine are interesting to you, you’ll probably like it more than I did.

Later note: I did keep reading a chapter or two, every so often, and I did enjoy it.

Still later note: I grew tired of reading all the details. The author did a LOT of research, and included all of it. At 42%, I deleted the book. (The notes began at 64%, so I read about 2/3 of the book.)
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P. Stern
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2008
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This is a learned book, and a pleasure to read. Freedman succeeds admirably in describing and explaining Medieval Europe's passion for spices. But the most interesting part of the book is his analysis of Europe's voyages all over the world to obtain spices for domestic consumption. It's an ambitious project, and he pulls it off in a style that is lucid and also fun.

I also very much enjoyed another book on food that Freedman recently edited, "Food: The History of Taste" (University of California Press, 2007). The essays in the book are consistently insightful and entertaining. Here's to more academic work on the history of food!
27 people found this helpful
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Robert S Farmer MD
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating history of spices.
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2020
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An interesting history of spices. I was hoping for more medical info, but it was still very good.
2 people found this helpful
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Kris
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for any novice historion.
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2013
Verified Purchase
A great book with all the background you could ever need about the Spice Trade. Really great overview of how it shaped our modern world. I learned a lot that I don't think I would have come across had I not read this book. There are some very cool spice-laden recipes from the Middle Ages in the pages that I would love to try. It's interesting to see how they progress from being very heavily spice-laden to more light on the spices as we get closer to modern times.

There's a lot of links between different historical events and the spice trade in this book that really open your eyes to how things in history are interconnected. For that I'll recommend this to any novice historian that wants to get a good idea of how history is shaped by a web of events and not a straight line. The only issue is that is drags a bit in places, but it doesn't happen often.

Highly recommended.
18 people found this helpful
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Daniel Doyle
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceeds Expectations
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2018
Verified Purchase
I am really impressed, the book was marked used and very good and it was like new. I was expecting some ware and tare but there was none.
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Daniel Doyle
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceeds Expectations
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2018
I am really impressed, the book was marked used and very good and it was like new. I was expecting some ware and tare but there was none.
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One person found this helpful
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Tinnia Zitter
4.0 out of 5 stars THE JOY OF LEARNING ABOUT MEDIEVIL APPITITES
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2010
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This is a wonderful book that tells you why the medievil people expended so much energy and adventure to pecure spices. Reading the menues and seeing how the spelling has changed was great. There was also the sadness that came over me when I realized how many of the birds, animals and fish that the population were able to eat that are now extinct. This bookwas a wonderful refresher to remember the richness of the medievil people.
10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Adam C. Bohnet
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2017
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good.
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Gabriel
5.0 out of 5 stars Paul Freedman rules
Reviewed in France on October 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
I think Paul Freedman is one of the greatest history professor in the US. This is a remarquable work and will make you travel throughout time and places...
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