Fish on Friday: Feasting, Fasting, and Discovery of the New World - Hardcover

Fagan, Brian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465022847 ISBN 13: 9780465022847

Publisher: Basic Books, 2006

Synopsis

What gave Christopher Columbus the confidence in 1492 to set out across the Atlantic Ocean? What persuaded the king and queen of Spain to commission the voyage? It would be convenient to believe that Columbus and his men were uniquely courageous. A more reasonable explanation, however, is that Columbus was heir to a body of knowledge about seas and ships acquired at great cost over many centuries. Fish on Friday tells a new story of the discovery of America. In Brian Fagan's view, that discovery is the product of the long sweep of history: the spread of Christianity and the radical cultural changes it brought to Europe, the interaction of economic necessity with a changing climate, and generations of unknown fishermen who explored the North Atlantic in the centuries before Columbus. The Church's tradition of not eating meats on holy days created a vast market for fish that could not be fully satisfied by fish farms, better boats, or new preservation techniques. Then, when climate change in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries diminished fish stocks off Norway and Iceland, fishermen were forced to range ever farther to the west-eventually discovering incredibly rich shoals within sight of the Nova Scotia coast. In Ireland in 1490, Columbus could well have heard about this unknown land. The rest is history.

About this title

About the Author:

Brian Fagan is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. A former Guggenheim Fellow, he has written many internationally acclaimed popular books about archaeology, including The Little Ice Age, Floods, Famines, and Emperors, and The Long Summer. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

From School Library Journal:

Adult/High School–This is a thought-provoking, well-researched explanation for early European exploration. According to Fagan, the knowledge and technological innovations that made ocean voyages possible were gained over hundreds of years by ordinary people in pursuit of fish. The appetite for the food was enormous in Europe during the Middle Ages. Rare fish graced the tables of nobles as a delicacy. Stockfish replaced meat during holy days and supplemented the meager diet of peasants. Preserved fish fed soldiers when they were far from home. Political situations, monopolies, and climate changes forced fishermen farther from shore. Better designs for boats followed, as well as new methods of drying and salting the catch. The longer shelf life for fish allowed for even greater distances to be covered. The author's lively style and use of fascinating details make this an entertaining book that would also be useful for students doing research on specific aspects of medieval life. An analysis of the various claims of who reached the New World first is particularly interesting. Fish recipes, from classical Rome to 17th-century New England, are sprinkled throughout the narrative. A reverse chronological time line is provided, as well as 12 maps and 27 black-and-white illustrations that include reproductions of contemporary paintings of towns and shores and woodcuts showing smokehouses, waterwheels, and other inventions. Drawings of fishing boats, fish, and fishing tools are also featured.–Kathy Tewell, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0465022847
• ISBN 13: 9780465022847
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368