Hunger: How Food Shaped the Course of the First World War

by Rick Blom

Among the numerous books that have been written about the First World War, this work stands out for its focus on the role of food in this bloodiest and most gruesome of conflicts. Dutch historian Rick Blom, has created a fascinating and absorbing narrative from a wide range of source material, including personal diaries by active servicemen and civilians, historical accounts, interviews and conversations with the last veterans still alive at the time of writing, food manuals, and recipe books. Direct quotes from diaries are deftly interwoven into an account of the war’s progress from the standpoint of the three principal nations involved in the conflict (Britain, France and Germany). Interlaced are vivid descriptions of the author’s own attempts at experiencing at first hand what it must have been like to be active in combat. He takes part in a re-enactment (working as a sous-chef in a recreated field kitchen) and later spends three cold, hungry, solitary days and nights in a restored trench. Throughout, the focus remains firmly on food, or rather the lack of it, and everything related to production, distribution, preparation, quantities and how it influenced the outcome of the war. Recipes from war-time sources conclude each chapter. Hunger makes for a gripping, at times harrowing read. Written by a historian from a country that was neutral during the war, this work offers a new perspective on the conflict at the centenary of its end.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2008

About the author

Rick Blom has an MA in history and worked for more than ten years as a journalist and chief editor for a national magazine in his home country of the Netherlands.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Hunger' by Rick Blom is a captivating non-fiction work that focuses on food and its distinct role in shaping the morale and outcome of World War One. Featuring interviews from not only veterans but also civilian survivors, Blom offers the audience a unique, focused perspective most seldom think of. Readers are taken on a journey through plenty and scarcity and are able to accurately imagine how food supply or lack thereof determines the entire outcome of the war. His concluding quote from German Crown Prince Wilhelm "The army has not been beaten by weapons. We were forced to capitulate by hunger and want," is the perfect ending.

The writing itself is attainable and not overly academic while not oversimplified either. Translator Suzanne Heukensfeldt Jansen does an absolutely beautiful job throughout and lends a kind of almost poetry to the narrative.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and could not put it down.

[Emily Posthumus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting deep dive into what kind of food soldiers ate during the first world war. Blom does his research and includes a ton of different recipes.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was done in a similiar style to Lizzie Collingham, though Blom was able to talk to some First World War vets and spent time in a reconstructed trench.