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Vegemite
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 4, 2025
Too much discussion of war and not enough discussion of Vegemite for me :(
February 21, 2026
I realised I could get free audiobooks from the library and decided to go for something that sounded somewhat interesting that I'd otherwise never read.
Now I generally don't consider audiobooks 'reading' because I just find I can't concentrate the same way on audio as I can reading. I won't judge other people, for me it's not quite reading. I'm not sure if I've read this, so maybe I can't judge it as I could everything else I've read this year, but I do know that even if I haven't "read" the book, I know it is boring. Very boring. And mostly for no-one, or at least no-one I know. A good book could have been written about Vegemite — a quirky popsci book about cultural fascination with a weird food, how marketing worked, etc.
Sadly, this book is written by the creator of Vegemite's grandson, so we know early on he's going to spend a lot of time writing about his family, and since they're his family, he's not going to dish the dirt. There are no scandalous secrets here. There is next to zero psychology. It turns out very boring people were involved in the creation of this product, which became popular due to the interwar lack of alternatives in the height of White Australian Anglo supremacy, which corresponds with the one of the nadirs of food culture in human history. I don't even get the sense Callister likes Vegemite. He likes that it became an Australian icon, as he is Australian, but there is nothing more emotive to this book. It seems to be the product of someone with too much free time. It's almost wrong to give this book 1 star, because I found it amusingly, hypnotically boring. Reading Wikipedia would be livelier and more educational.
Now I generally don't consider audiobooks 'reading' because I just find I can't concentrate the same way on audio as I can reading. I won't judge other people, for me it's not quite reading. I'm not sure if I've read this, so maybe I can't judge it as I could everything else I've read this year, but I do know that even if I haven't "read" the book, I know it is boring. Very boring. And mostly for no-one, or at least no-one I know. A good book could have been written about Vegemite — a quirky popsci book about cultural fascination with a weird food, how marketing worked, etc.
Sadly, this book is written by the creator of Vegemite's grandson, so we know early on he's going to spend a lot of time writing about his family, and since they're his family, he's not going to dish the dirt. There are no scandalous secrets here. There is next to zero psychology. It turns out very boring people were involved in the creation of this product, which became popular due to the interwar lack of alternatives in the height of White Australian Anglo supremacy, which corresponds with the one of the nadirs of food culture in human history. I don't even get the sense Callister likes Vegemite. He likes that it became an Australian icon, as he is Australian, but there is nothing more emotive to this book. It seems to be the product of someone with too much free time. It's almost wrong to give this book 1 star, because I found it amusingly, hypnotically boring. Reading Wikipedia would be livelier and more educational.
December 29, 2024
A really enjoyable narration by the grandson of the man who invented Vegemite.
Really steeped in the history of the period from WW1 and during and just after WW2.
Part of the history of that era that I hadn't thought about too much before.
Really enjoyed it and had to eat plenty of Vegemite on buttered toast while listening to it.
Really steeped in the history of the period from WW1 and during and just after WW2.
Part of the history of that era that I hadn't thought about too much before.
Really enjoyed it and had to eat plenty of Vegemite on buttered toast while listening to it.
January 30, 2025
listened to the audiobook while i hiked koscuiszko. then finished in bega. very interesting. love australian history
November 16, 2025
I’ve read it. It was neither inspiring or so,etching I feel the need to recommend to others, but it wasn’t all bad. It was readable, and that is probably enough said about it.
May 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it on BorrowBox and thoroughly enjoyed Jamie’s narration of the book.
The book was recommended by the writer’s sister and I am so glad I read it.
There is a fair amount of family history in the book and found that I would love a family tree to look back on. I have heard the book has pictures which I would to see.
I learnt things about Vegemite I didn’t think I would ever know and it brought me to tears in parts as learned about this amazing family and their time spent during both world wars, which has a fairly heavy focus.
Would recommend to anyone interested.
The book was recommended by the writer’s sister and I am so glad I read it.
There is a fair amount of family history in the book and found that I would love a family tree to look back on. I have heard the book has pictures which I would to see.
I learnt things about Vegemite I didn’t think I would ever know and it brought me to tears in parts as learned about this amazing family and their time spent during both world wars, which has a fairly heavy focus.
Would recommend to anyone interested.
July 4, 2025
So this book isn’t about Vegemite, not really. It’s about the man who invented it and his family, how they got through the wars, how he was a work-a-holic who also made sliced cheese. The details about how he went about what he did are skant, I’m guessing they are trade secrets. It talks about how Vegemite became the Aussie staple but not in huge detail. It’s written by the grandson of the guy who invented it and a lot of personal stuff from family letter is in the book.
Sadly I found it a bit boring. I wanted more Vegemite and less war.
Sadly I found it a bit boring. I wanted more Vegemite and less war.
July 1, 2024
🍞 We’re Happy Little Vegemite’s 🎶
Written by Jamie Callister, the grandson of Cyril Callister, the inventor of the infamous Vegemite- this is a gorgeous story which is as Australian as the spread itself.
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Spanning the Victorian gold rush, two world wars, the Great Depression, rivals and failed marketing - it is very interesting to learn the lengthy and interesting road it took for Vegemite to become the favourite icon we know today.
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The audiobook is narrated by Jamie himself- which I love!
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I quite enjoyed listening to this audiobook, and learning about scientist and inventor Cyril, and the journey taken to create Vegemite.
Written by Jamie Callister, the grandson of Cyril Callister, the inventor of the infamous Vegemite- this is a gorgeous story which is as Australian as the spread itself.
.
Spanning the Victorian gold rush, two world wars, the Great Depression, rivals and failed marketing - it is very interesting to learn the lengthy and interesting road it took for Vegemite to become the favourite icon we know today.
.
The audiobook is narrated by Jamie himself- which I love!
.
I quite enjoyed listening to this audiobook, and learning about scientist and inventor Cyril, and the journey taken to create Vegemite.
November 24, 2024
As a Brit living in Australia I really enjoyed listening to this little nugget of modern Australian history around an iconic product. Aside from the race issues that have tarnished recent Australian history this well written memoir was an interesting insight in to how European settlers went about their new lives down under and fought alongside the Empire in the World Wars.
January 7, 2025
As a massive Vegemite fan I'm pleased this audiobook was packed to the brim with history and facts. It did drag a little in the middle with war stories but overall I'm a happy little Vegemite now more than ever.
November 28, 2024
Neat book on the life of the man and the family that created the iconic spread.
December 17, 2024
i love vegemite
December 27, 2024
Too little about Vegemite, too much about saintly uncle Ian. Quite interesting detail about ingredients & long history of failing to launch, creator was an interesting character too.
January 20, 2025
What a journey this book takes you on! From the early gold rush days, to bomb making in World War 1, through the great depression, to World War 2 and to modern day.
At it's heart, it's about the birth of Vegemite. The author is the grandson of the Vegemite inventor, the famous and brilliant chemist and food technologist Cyril Callister and the audiobook is narrated by the author himself. It covers a lot of his family tree and the stories that shaped Vegemite becoming what it is today: A proud Aussie icon that Aussies love and that the rest of the world remains generally confused about.
My verdict: I learnt so much and entertained my family with snippets of the book for days (and probably weeks to come).
At it's heart, it's about the birth of Vegemite. The author is the grandson of the Vegemite inventor, the famous and brilliant chemist and food technologist Cyril Callister and the audiobook is narrated by the author himself. It covers a lot of his family tree and the stories that shaped Vegemite becoming what it is today: A proud Aussie icon that Aussies love and that the rest of the world remains generally confused about.
My verdict: I learnt so much and entertained my family with snippets of the book for days (and probably weeks to come).
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews