The Basque History of the World - Mark Kurlansky

From Mark Kurlansky, the bestselling
author of Cod, Salt, Birdseye, and Paper-the illuminating
story of an ancient and enigmatic people

Straddling a small corner of Spain
and France in a land that is marked on no maps except their own, the Basques are
a puzzling contradiction-they are Europe's oldest nation without ever having
been a country. No one has ever been able to determine their origins, and even
the Basques' language, Euskera-the most ancient in Europe-is related to none other on earth. For centuries,
their influence has been felt in nearly every realm, from religion to sports to
commerce. Even today, the Basques are enjoying what may be the most important
cultural renaissance in their long existence, as displayed by new cookbooks like chefs Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero's The Basque Book and restaurateur Jose Pizarro's Basque.

Mark Kurlansky's passion for the
Basque people and his exuberant eye for detail shine throughout this fascinating
book. Like Cod, The Basque History of the
World, blends human stories with economic, political, literary, and
culinary history into a rich and heroic tale.

Among the Basques' greatest
accomplishments:

Exploration-the first man to
circumnavigate the globe, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, was a Basque and the Basques
were the second Europeans, after the Vikings, in North
America


Gastronomy
and agriculture-they were the first Europeans to eat corn and chili peppers and
cultivate tobacco, and were among the first to use
chocolate


Religion-Ignatius Loyola, a Basque,
founded the Jesuit religious order


Business and
politics-they introduced capitalism and modern commercial banking to southern
Europe


Recreation-they invented beach
resorts, jai alai, and racing regattas, and were the first Europeans to play
sports with balls

"A delectable portrait
of an uncanny, indomitable nation." -Newsday

"Exciting, Illuminating,
and thought provoking." -The Boston Globe

Entertaining and
instructive. [Kurlansky's] approach is unorthodox, mixing history with
anecdotes, poems with recipes." -The New York Times Book
Review