When Champagne Became French: Wine and the Making of a National Identity (The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science)
Excellent book.(Harry W. PaulJournal of Modern History)The denouement of Kolleen Guy's fascinating book is the violent explosion known as the 'revolution of Champagne' in 1911. How the revolt occurred is the heart of this skillful study of a region's economy and society and its relationship to the nation state.(Thomas BrennanJournal of Social History)A strong contribution to our understanding of the processes by which French national identity was constructed.(James. R. LehningJournal of Interdisciplinary History)[Guy] convincingly describes how the circumstances surrounding the evolution of this regional beverage explain changes within French society... Students writing research papers in the fields of gastronomy would find this an excellent model of how they should approach similar topics.(Massachusetts Beverage Business)Guy's fascinating book... traces in extensive detail the forces at work to transform this formerly regional product into a world-recognized symbol of French patrimony, elitism, and spirit. In lively style, Guy chronicles the history of champagne production in France and, in turn, the history of France itself through eras of industrialization and war. All readers will find this book absorbing: history buffs, novices to the bubbly, and full-fledged experts.(Janine SutherlinFrance Today)A fascinating study of champagne in the years before the Great War... Guy makes us consider the current popularity of products which, like champagne, have a strong regional identity and their increasing centrality to contemporary France's sense of identity.(Times Literary Supplement)A fascinating book... [Guy] demonstrates how a region with few environmental advantages for grape and wine production was able not only to succeed but to become synonymous with grace, style, and joyful gatherings.(Choice)The first modern scholarly study of the production, consumption, and representation of champagne. Guy's prose is both inviting and accessible, deftly integrating theories from sociology, anthropology, philosophy, economics, and cultural history in a coherent, persuasive, and analytical narrative.When Champagne Became Frenchis both scholarly and readable.(W. Scott Haine, Holy Names College, California)Guy's illustrated book is a well-researched look at one of France's proudest achievements.(Lori D. KranzBloomsbury Review)