Thank you for the opportunity to review A History of British Baking by Emma Kay in exchange for an honest review.

Summary -- "The British have been baking for centuries. Here, for the first time, is a comprehensive account of how our relationship with this much-loved art has changed, evolved and progressed over time.

Renowned food historian and author, Emma Kay, skillfully combines the related histories of Britain's economy, innovation, technology, health, cultural and social trends with the personal stories of many of the individuals involved with the whole process: the early pioneers, the recipe writers, the cooks, the entrepreneurs. The result is a deliciously fascinating read, one that will prove to be juicer than the juiciest of juicy baked goods."

My views -- I LOVED this book. I requested the book because of 1) an interest in books about Britain and 2) an interest in baking. Combine the two, stir, and you get a great read. :)

I found this book to be immensely educational. Food is reflective of historical change and social behavior, and I'd go so far as to say it is one of the biggest indications of progress throughout history. As the description states, histories of economics, innovation, technology, cultural and social trends are relate directly with food. Social class impacts your economic potential, which influences what foods you can afford, etc. I found this book to showcase a deep dive into British history in a unique survey / approach. The writing style is accessible. There are some recipes included.

I would HIGHLY suggest this book and would totally love a physical copy to add to my collection.

I received an advance galley of this book via NetGalley.

<i>A History of British Baking</i> abounds in bready joy. I'm an American, an amateur baker who adores Great British Bake Off, and a history geek. On my first-ever international trip ever last year, to the UK, I set about trying all of the British and Scottish baked goods (and cheeses) that I could. To put it simply: I LOVED THIS BOOK. It felt made for me.

The book is incredibly well-researched, filled with footnotes throughout but never stodgy or academic. It started out addressing the earliest influences on British baking, going back to the Romans, advancing through the Middle Ages with rising French influences (like whoa, French toast was actually brought over as part of the Norman conquest!), the industrialization of baking, how baking was handled during wars on the home front and abroad, the influences (and biases against) immigrant bakers, and ending with the modern artisan movement. There are recipes from every era, original language intact--and, thankfully, translations and explanations are included. Illustrations and photographs are found throughout.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I would love to own it in physical form myself.

A History of British Baking is a survey course of baking throughout British history - and how it shaped and defined the culture. Due out in late 2020 from Pen & Sword on their History imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

The author writes with an accessible and engaging style. The introduction covers the genesis of the book, defining the scope and relevance - what's "British", what's "baking"? How indepth (the author asked) should the technical/chemical/physical study of baking be? What was relevant? I found this introductory musing quite interesting as it gave a sort of insider look at the genesis and shaping of the entire book. (I always read introductions and forewords and often find them invaluable and relevant to the rest of the reading, certainly true in this case).

I found the actual book a bit scattered occasionally. It was sometimes difficult to see the progression of thoughts as the author flitted from one subject to the next. There is an overarching chronological timeline from medieval baking, progressing through the Tudor & Stuart periods, to the Georgians, and on to the modern era however which gave some structure.

There are some historically period recipes reproduced here for things varied (and delicious sounding along with some rather alarming ). The inclusion of period recipes for mooncakes, meat patties, roqaq (like matzoh) and more add some interest and will be fun to reproduce and try, but by far the emphasis is on the history behind the development and blending of the cultures which make up Britain.

The book is meticulously annotated throughout. The author has cited both period and modern scholarly research to support the narrative. There are numerous chapter notes, and an index. The chapter notes alone will keep keen readers going for ages.

The author has a casual academic style of writing; accessible and careful, with proper annotation, but not overly convoluted or impenetrably difficult to read. She manages to convey a wealth of information without being pedantic or preachy. I really enjoyed reading this historical catalogue of how closely food is intertwined with place, with social development and expansion, and with the people who live/d in Great Britain.

This would be a great choice for libraries, local historians, food historians, period reproduction cooks, Bed & Breakfast/hospitality, or for fans of British cuisine.

Five stars. It's abundantly clear that the author has poured prodigious effort and careful academic research into this tome. I can't imagine there's much left unanswered about Britain's culinary traditions. I felt very much enlightened after reading it, anyhow.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

*This book was received as an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley.

I absolutely adore the Great British Bake-Off show and so this book, including it in its sub-title, was an instant draw. I also just love food history and learning about where different cuisines and dishes came from. Baking is kind of an elusive art for me, I can follow directions just fine, but being able to understand the science and be innovative takes a lot of know-how, which these early pioneers of baking would have had to have.

This book goes back into history and covers the various baking methods and types of bakes being made through time. Recipes, included along the way, reflect these different time periods, and some needed translations because of the difference between spelling and language itself even if it was technically still in English. As an aside, some of the quantities of ingredients required for these bakes were absolutely baffling to me. I suppose if you're feeding a castle full of people instead of a normal household it makes sense, but wow! There are some illustrations included, which depict various bakes or references to bakers, and also photographs of various bakeries that are British mainstays.

All that history, but unfortunately I found the book a bit dry and disjointed. It seemed like just when I was settling into a topic, a new one was whisked in and my mind was battered by the adjustment. While it followed a timeline more or less, sometimes it jumped back and forth in history, which was also made it a bit harder to follow. I would definitely say that this book is less light reading and more study as a result of the format. I also was sad to see that despite being in the subtitle, the Bake-Off was barely mentioned at all (if you're reading it for that). Lastly, if you're looking for home cook information, there's a bit of it in this book, but it largely trended towards more commercial enterprises or even military; which isn't surprising considering there were probably better records of those endeavors.

Still an interesting book, but definitely not one just to jump in for fun. You have to be prepared to really follow along and take it in short bursts.

Review by M. Reynard 2020

This is a lively romp through the history of British Baking. Emma Kay is that gossipy best friend who tells you fascinating stories and keeps you wanting to read more. Emma's meticulous research has turned up some fascinating facts, definitely a book to keep dipping into.

Interesting, incisive, and on point with public interest right now. I love single topic histories, and this manages to tell a strong narrative about the history of a nation at the same time as a product.

Great book for anyone who is a fan of baking! Love the recipes and old photographs that are included in the book as well!

I love learning about historical cooking techniques and recipes! It's always interesting to read about how tastes change, or people settle for (due to technology, etc...) This book doesn't contain a load of recipes, but does has lots of information on how foods have changed and why. I enjoyed reading it, Emma Kay has done her homework and written a well-researched book! If your interested in food, this book will keep you interested.