This is a very thorough book on the history of gin or genever an alcoholic drink through many centuries for both the wealthy and the poorest of the poor. With the start or development around the 14 or 1500's made from grain and juniper berries with a start in Dutch society. With part of the benefit of the development was a secondary market for surplus grain and something safe to drink compared to the water in some areas. There was a time where it seemed everyone was distilling gin. There were of course many downsides with the fact that societies were having trouble finding enough men for the army and navy who were not drunkards. They were making millions of gallons in the 1700's it is amazing to think. There are many interesting points that maybe not directly relate to gin but to alcohol in general. Around the time of prohibition gin was sold as a cure all for many maladies. People found many ways to get around prohibition by doctors getting a license to prescribed alcohol, there 60,000 doctors who gained the right to prescribe and not only doctors but dentist, veterinarians and pharmacist. Alcohol was a definite money maker for organized crime as it was projected that Al Capone made 60 million. You learn of how the Royal Navy had to have a higher proof of gin and how the term proof came about. Some of the items or material used to distill gin is wild as there is one brand in Australia that uses ants and brand in Uganda made from bananas that is so strong it is highly recommend not to drink straight. As you read through this book you will see many times the reemergence of gin all the way up to recent times thanks to Sex and the city with the Cosmopolitan and even Harry Potter.

Ah! The might juniper berry! A fun and revealing look at a historical perspective of the beginning and the popularity of gin. A very original piece of writing.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an engaging and interesting history of genever, gin, and it’s impact on culture and society for the last few hundred years. Though there are some portions that may need revision for clarity or minor adjustments, overall this was a history that was fun to read, and the author kept the reading from being dry or overwhelming.

I felt that this was a book of 2 halves. I enjoyed the first section which talked about the history of gin through the ages but lost interest as the book progressed. Just ok.

This book looks at the origins of Gin and its early history and its introduction to the British isles and how tax reduction on corn where landowners produced cheap Gin created a boom in a cheap drink for the masses and how each Government tried to stem the problems of excessive consumption. a section also looks at 1920's USA with prohibition and how that creates other issues. Latter part looks at Gin in modern times and perceptions have changed.

I’m not a gin drinker. I think I’ve maybe had two gins in my 63 years because I’m much keener on beer and red wine for my alcoholic indulgence. The Weird and Wonderful Story of Gin by Angela Youngman has, as its subtitle, “From the 17th Century to the Present Day” – and that’s exactly what the book covers. The thirteen chapters cover many aspects of gin in depth:
The first seven chapters take us from the early versions of jenever in the sixteenth century through to the 1970s. The depth of Youngman’s research is impressive. Not only are we taken through the various C18th Parliamentary Acts that tried (and mostly faied0 to curb over-indulgence in gin, we see what part gin played in the Bright Young Things’ culture of the 1920s; Prohibition; the Happy Valley set in Kenya; and even Evelyn Waugh’s description of having three gins before lunchtime. And yes, good old Denis “it’s never too early for a gin and tonic” Thatcher! It’s absolutely fascinating!

Further chapters cover the tradition of gin in the Navy; its new dawn in the twenty-first century, discussing the marketing of various brands; how gin has inspired various forms of art from songs in Mary Poppins to TS Eliot’s Sweeney Agonistes, plus strange ingredients such as ants and tonka beans. We then myths, legends and imagination, e.g. Heston Blumenthal’s drink served during his Fantastical Feasts TV series. The final chapter brings us up to date with the pandemic and the repurposing of alcohol for hand sanitisers.

No, I’m not going to forsake my beer and wine for gin, but I do have a better appreciation of the drink – and a great admiration for Youngman’s writing.

#TheWeirdandWonderfulStoryofGin #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for making my wish come true with this book! it's just I wasn't able to download it in time (I was approved less than 10 hours ago) and the book was archived! I'm leaving it four stars over here as that is the average rating!

I read this as an ARC from Netgalley.com.

I have to admit to some mixed feelings about this book. It really is well researched and comprehensively covers the history of gin, from its origins as a cheap drink for the destitute masses to the modern, trendy, and ever more complicated flavor profiles of today. (Australia has a gin made from ants!)

I particularly enjoyed the section on the American Prohibition (1920-1933), which spawned gin related terms still romanticized and popularized today. Gin joints, also known as speakeasies, moonshine, and racecars are just some of the lasting effects of the prohibition.

However, I feel like this book could use another good once-over. In the chapter about prohibition Youngman states that "gallons of alcoholic beverages across the country were destroyed", which while technically true, does not exactly encompass the scope of the destruction. Youngman also claims that Ryan Reynolds stars in some of "the darkest films ever made" which includes Deadpool and Amnityville Horror. I'll admit Deadpool can be a little gory, but it is, technically, a comedy.

In earlier chapters, which cover England in the 17th and 18th centuries, there are lots of quotes from first hand accounts of the gin craze. I would have appreciated some footnotes as to the modern monetary amounts; shillings aren't a monetary value I'm very familiar with, but you could still get the gist of the meaning even without the specifics.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who is looking for a "history-of" book of alcohol, as Youngman manages to cover nearly four hundred years of history without it feeling like a chore to read. Maybe even have a nice gin cocktail while you're at it!

“The Weird and Wonderful Story of Gin—From the Seventeenth Century to the Present Day”
By Angela Youngman

Society's Dubious Dance With Gin

There's probably never been one single distilled beverage that's marked it's place in history of alcoholic beverages as that of gin, as we learn in the fun, fact-filled, and often irreverent, “The Weird and Wonderful Story of Gin—From the Seventeenth Century to the Present Day,” by Angela Youngman.

Youngman’s comprehensive history of gin starts at it's initial conception as Genever originally brewed in the Netherlands.. We learn that this crisp, evergreen infused, herbal concoction is much, much more than a simple libation.

Created by the Dutch; savored by the aristocracy; smuggled by pirates; peddled by bootleggers; home-brewed by the poor; loathed by the Temperance Movement; prescribed for its medicinal purposes; issued as rations to British sailors; and recognized as a refreshing cocktail when served over ice with tonic and lime—gin—in all of its documented variations—is a liquor that is both famous, and infamous, due to it's wide usage and notoriety.

In addition to the surprising history of gin, my favorite sections of Youngman’s “Weird Story of Gin” are the references to the drink in arts and entertainment over the years.

Gin for medical purposes, as well as a scourge upon 19th Century Society can be found throughout the works of Charles Dickens, Youngman points out. Many of these intriguing passages regarding gin are quoted in the book, and offer a prescient glimpse back on sentiments of those days.

Like me, many of you may recall from watching the Humphrey Bogart black and white movie classic, “Casablanca,” one of the most memorable entertainment references to this drink. This is when character, Rick, notices his ex-girlfriend walk into his bar in Morocco. ‘Of all the Gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.’ Gin is much more than an alcoholic spirit, it's a legend unto itself.

For readers like me who love a crisp London Dry with tonic and lime, as well as perhaps an artisanal, boutique gin, like Empress 1908, with it's deep indigo hue that sparkles and changes colors depending upon it's mixture, Angela Youngman’s fascinating, “The Weird and Wonderful Story of Gin—From the Seventeenth Century to the Present Day,” is the perfect accompaniment with your afternoon toddy. Cheers! Sláinte! and read on.

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The Book Maven’s Journal—Reviews for Word Connoisseurs
REVIEWER: J.Hunt
STAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Weird and Wonderful Story of Gin—From the Seventeenth Century to the Present Day” Author: Angela Youngman
Genre: History (Adult) | Non-Fiction |
Publication Date: 29 March 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword History, an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd.

With Sincerest Appreciation to NetGalley, Author Angela Youngman, and Publisher Pen & Sword History, an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd., for Providing this Advance Reader’s Copy for Review.