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The Taste of Conquest

The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice

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The Taste of Conquest

By: Michael Krondl
Narrated by: Todd McLaren
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About this listen

 In this engaging, anecdotal history of food, world conquest, and desire, a chef-turned-journalist tells the story of three legendary cities, Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam, that transformed the globe in the quest for spice.

Written in a colorful style that will appeal to fans of Mark Kurlansky and Michael Pollan, this ambitious yet accessible book travels effortlessly from the Crusades to the present day. Michael Krondl explains that it was the desire for spices that got international trade up and running on a scale that had never occurred prior to that time. This explosive growth of the spice trade led to the successive rise and fall of Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam.

Krondl, a gifted food writer, travels to each of these great cities and begins his visit with a great meal. Gradually, he merges the menu he's enjoying with the city's colorful past, and listeners are off on a gastronomical tour that teaches them not only about food and spice but also about history and commerce.

©2007 Michael Krondl (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc. 16th Century 17th Century Diets, Nutrition & Healthy Eating Gastronomy Renaissance World City Spice Imperialism Italy Ancient History France Portugal Crusade
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Critic reviews

" The Taste of Conquest is the savory story of the rise and fall of three spice-trading cities. It is filled with rich aromas and piquant tastes from the past that still resonate today. Michael Krondl serves up this aromatic tale with zest and verve. This book isn't just for historians and spice lovers - it's for all who love good writing and great stories." (Andrew F. Smith, editor, The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink)

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Fantastic story, terrible narration

Such an interesting story, completely spoiled by terrible narration. I was particularly interested in the Portuguese aspect of the spice trade as I live in Lisbon, but the narrator didn’t bother to learn now to pronounce one single Portuguese word properly. He says it as though it is Spanish, which is deeply offensive to the Portuguese language. It meant I couldn’t enjoy it at all. I think if you are going to narrate a book the least you can do is learn how to pronounce words properly. I’m also very disappointed that not one single person involved in the commissioning and producing of this audio book picked up on this

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