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Menus that Made History: Over 2000 years of menus from Ancient Egyptian food for the afterlife to Elvis Presley’s wedding breakfast
'An absolutely riveting book - reading it makes you intelligent, full of brilliant anecdotes - and very hungry indeed.' - Richard Curtis
'This brilliantly conceived and well-researched book is a source of real delight.' - Dr Annie Gray, BBC Radio 4's The Kitchen Cabinet
'Superbly written, a complete joy to read, and just about the perfect present for anyone even vaguely interested in food.' - Mark Diacono
'A gastronomic delight. You can savour it a course at a time, or you may consume the whole banquet in one sitting. It's delicious either way - utterly scrumptious, in fact!' - Mike Leigh
This fascinating miscellany of menus from around the world will educate as well as entertain, delighting both avid foodies and the general reader.
Each menu provides an insight into its particular historical moment - from the typical food on offer in a nineteenth-century workhouse to the opulence of George IV's gargantuan coronation dinner. Some menus are linked with a specific and unforgettable event such as The Hindenburg's last flight menu or the variety of meals on offer for First, Second and Third Class passengers on board RMS Titanic, while others give an insight into sport, such as the 1963 FA Cup Final Dinner or transport and travel with the luxury lunch on board the Orient Express. Also included are literary occasions like Charles' Dickens 1868 dinner at Delmonicos in New York as well as the purely fictional and fantastical fare of Ratty's picnic in The Wind in the Willows.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2019
160 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
About the author
Alex Johnson
13 books74 followersLatest book: Shed Manual (Haynes, 2019)
Next book: Edward Lear & The Pussycat: Famous Writers and Their Pets (August, 2019)
Next book after that: Menus That Made History (Kyle/Octopus, September, 2019)
I am a professional blogger and journalist, part of The Independent newspaper's online team in the UK. I run Shedworking (www.shedworking.co.uk) which inspired the book 'Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution' published by Frances Lincoln, The Micro Life (www.themicrolife.co.uk), and curate Bookshelf (www.onthebookshelf.co.uk), which was published as a book in 2012 by Thames & Hudson as 'Bookshelf'.
'Improbable Libraries', a survey of the most unusual and intriguing libraries around the world, was published by Thames & Hudson in April 2015 and 'A Book of Book Lists' in October 2017 by The British Library. My book on book towns around the world, 'Book Towns', was published by Frances Lincoln in March 2018 and 'Shelf Life, a selection of essays about books and reading, in October 2018 by The British Library. The same month, I brought out a literary trumps card game called The Writers Game with Laurence King Publishing.
Next book: Edward Lear & The Pussycat: Famous Writers and Their Pets (August, 2019)
Next book after that: Menus That Made History (Kyle/Octopus, September, 2019)
I am a professional blogger and journalist, part of The Independent newspaper's online team in the UK. I run Shedworking (www.shedworking.co.uk) which inspired the book 'Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution' published by Frances Lincoln, The Micro Life (www.themicrolife.co.uk), and curate Bookshelf (www.onthebookshelf.co.uk), which was published as a book in 2012 by Thames & Hudson as 'Bookshelf'.
'Improbable Libraries', a survey of the most unusual and intriguing libraries around the world, was published by Thames & Hudson in April 2015 and 'A Book of Book Lists' in October 2017 by The British Library. My book on book towns around the world, 'Book Towns', was published by Frances Lincoln in March 2018 and 'Shelf Life, a selection of essays about books and reading, in October 2018 by The British Library. The same month, I brought out a literary trumps card game called The Writers Game with Laurence King Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 18, 2020
This was ok but not particularly gastronomically thrilling. SPAM gets a section, as does a workhouse menu ( surprise ! it’s gruel again). We learn that the Georgians love their Turtle soup and that for many of these historical banquets every conceivable bird was caught, plucked, roasted and then dressed back up to look like the original beast. It’s all very interesting but not practical as a guide to your next dinner party.
Essentially an amuse-bouche of a coffee table book.
Essentially an amuse-bouche of a coffee table book.
April 10, 2020
This book was FANTASTIC!!
I mean firstly... it's got that aesthetic that really pleases me. It's a hardcover coffee table book but on the smaller side so it's easy to read, the front cover is just... divine and then there's the content! Let's talk about the content! Divided up into eleven chapters, each chapter revolves around a theme including 'Travel and Adventure', 'War and Peace' and 'Art and Literature' each containing a few stand out events or occurrences and how that relates to food. There's detailed menus like that of the Press Club dinner in honour of Charles Dickens as well as slightly vaguer menus, like that of what was eaten on the front of World War one. There's a couple of famous wedding breakfasts as well as annual feast celebrations. Each historical event is detailed to understand the context of the event and time in a fascinating way that does not bore one at all and how food and the menu relates to that.
The layout and illustration of this book is just a+. It's easy to read, it's pleasing to the eye, it's got some fascinating as hell 'did you know' aspects included in the content. And there's RECIPES! Want to cook the Marsala Dahl similar to that served at the Golden Temple in India? There's a recipe for it! Want that delicious morning slow cooked porridge that probably doesn't resemble anything served in a London workhouse but you want to wrap that wool shaw tightly around your shoulders on a cold morning and feel like an 19th century woman just starting her day? There's a recipe for it!
But wait. Don't get too comfortable. It's not all fried chicken and bread. Some of it is super gruesome and not just the medieval obsession with swans. The delicacy of turtle soup nearly lead to the extinction of turtles. The Siege of Paris meant that animals normally reserved as pets became menu items. And then there was the dinner hosted by French President Francois Mitterrand a week before he died which included Ortolans, a songbird who was illegal to be eaten. Also. Be sure you have a strong stomach before you read just how the bird was eaten because it's a doozy.
Honestly. This is a great book. It was so informative and super fun to read.
Edit: 31/03/2020 - Made the Slow Cooked Porridge and stewed apples. Delicious!
I mean firstly... it's got that aesthetic that really pleases me. It's a hardcover coffee table book but on the smaller side so it's easy to read, the front cover is just... divine and then there's the content! Let's talk about the content! Divided up into eleven chapters, each chapter revolves around a theme including 'Travel and Adventure', 'War and Peace' and 'Art and Literature' each containing a few stand out events or occurrences and how that relates to food. There's detailed menus like that of the Press Club dinner in honour of Charles Dickens as well as slightly vaguer menus, like that of what was eaten on the front of World War one. There's a couple of famous wedding breakfasts as well as annual feast celebrations. Each historical event is detailed to understand the context of the event and time in a fascinating way that does not bore one at all and how food and the menu relates to that.
The layout and illustration of this book is just a+. It's easy to read, it's pleasing to the eye, it's got some fascinating as hell 'did you know' aspects included in the content. And there's RECIPES! Want to cook the Marsala Dahl similar to that served at the Golden Temple in India? There's a recipe for it! Want that delicious morning slow cooked porridge that probably doesn't resemble anything served in a London workhouse but you want to wrap that wool shaw tightly around your shoulders on a cold morning and feel like an 19th century woman just starting her day? There's a recipe for it!
But wait. Don't get too comfortable. It's not all fried chicken and bread. Some of it is super gruesome and not just the medieval obsession with swans. The delicacy of turtle soup nearly lead to the extinction of turtles. The Siege of Paris meant that animals normally reserved as pets became menu items. And then there was the dinner hosted by French President Francois Mitterrand a week before he died which included Ortolans, a songbird who was illegal to be eaten. Also. Be sure you have a strong stomach before you read just how the bird was eaten because it's a doozy.
Honestly. This is a great book. It was so informative and super fun to read.
Edit: 31/03/2020 - Made the Slow Cooked Porridge and stewed apples. Delicious!
April 10, 2020
This is certainly one of the most intriguing books I've read in a while (and I've read some very strange ones); it takes a special kind of genius to think that such a subject as menus could make the basis for a book.
In some cases the menus Vincent Franklin and Alex Johnson present us with are not really menus in the printed sense at all. Some are gleaned from archaeological evidence, manuscripts, books and other records which give clues or half answers. Others though, are bone fide actual menus and the authors provide us with pictures of these which are themselves, absorbingly interesting.
What you do get consistently are fascinating insights into historical periods of time and of great characters throughout 2000 years of history. The authors' claim that you can tell a lot about people from what they choose to put in their stomachs and how they choose to do it certainly holds water.
My only criticisms would simply be the layout. The authors chose to group the selections into themes, though often these seem a little arbitrary, rather than by chronological order. Considering that this is, at the end of the day, a history book, I feel this was a wrong move. It certainly makes it unusable as a reference guide to use with my students to liven up a Friday afternoon history lesson. Instead, it is consigned to the coffee table or toilet-reading shelf. An amusement, and nothing more. At the very least, should there be another edition, the authors should consider a second contents list giving the entries their proper historical placing.
In some cases the menus Vincent Franklin and Alex Johnson present us with are not really menus in the printed sense at all. Some are gleaned from archaeological evidence, manuscripts, books and other records which give clues or half answers. Others though, are bone fide actual menus and the authors provide us with pictures of these which are themselves, absorbingly interesting.
What you do get consistently are fascinating insights into historical periods of time and of great characters throughout 2000 years of history. The authors' claim that you can tell a lot about people from what they choose to put in their stomachs and how they choose to do it certainly holds water.
My only criticisms would simply be the layout. The authors chose to group the selections into themes, though often these seem a little arbitrary, rather than by chronological order. Considering that this is, at the end of the day, a history book, I feel this was a wrong move. It certainly makes it unusable as a reference guide to use with my students to liven up a Friday afternoon history lesson. Instead, it is consigned to the coffee table or toilet-reading shelf. An amusement, and nothing more. At the very least, should there be another edition, the authors should consider a second contents list giving the entries their proper historical placing.
March 1, 2024
4.25* - a lovely book to dip in and out of covering a wide range of topics from aztec cannibalism to Tudor feasts to last meals for condemned prisoners in the US justice system.
February 10, 2021
Very factual but slightly dry and not captivatingly written
February 7, 2024
Menus that Made History" is a fascinating journey through time, serving up a smorgasbord of culinary history that spans over two millennia. This Kindle edition book ingeniously compiles more than just lists of dishes; it presents an array of menus from various epochs and events, offering readers a taste of the past that goes beyond mere food. From the ancient Egyptian fare designed for the afterlife to the lavish wedding breakfast of Elvis Presley, this book provides a unique lens through which history is viewed, appreciated, and understood.
What sets this book apart is not just its historical breadth but the depth of its cultural insights. Each menu is a window into the customs, societal norms, and even the economic conditions of the time. The authors have meticulously researched and presented each menu, providing context that enriches the reader's understanding of how food has been intertwined with human history. The inclusion of menus from such a wide array of cultures and times, including those of famous figures and pivotal historical moments, adds layers of intrigue and fascination. https://menualerteg.com/
The Kindle Edition of "Menus that Made History" is particularly appealing for its accessibility and convenience. The format allows for easy navigation between menus, enabling readers to jump through history with a few taps. Additionally, the digital format lends itself well to updates and potentially adding more menus or enhancing the content with interactive elements in the future.
What sets this book apart is not just its historical breadth but the depth of its cultural insights. Each menu is a window into the customs, societal norms, and even the economic conditions of the time. The authors have meticulously researched and presented each menu, providing context that enriches the reader's understanding of how food has been intertwined with human history. The inclusion of menus from such a wide array of cultures and times, including those of famous figures and pivotal historical moments, adds layers of intrigue and fascination. https://menualerteg.com/
The Kindle Edition of "Menus that Made History" is particularly appealing for its accessibility and convenience. The format allows for easy navigation between menus, enabling readers to jump through history with a few taps. Additionally, the digital format lends itself well to updates and potentially adding more menus or enhancing the content with interactive elements in the future.
January 8, 2021
Interesting book with each chapter describing an event and the food served. The one complaint I have about this book is that I wish I had ordered the hardcover. It was impossible to read some of the menus using my Kindle. I was able to find some of the menus online to take a look at them, but not all. Those chapters that listed the food served were fine, but any time an actual menu was shown, I could not possibly read it. Some very unusual dinners described here and the short write-ups about each were quite interesting. Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding breakfast, Nobel Prize dinner and even, disturbingly, the miniscule amount of food served to those in Nazi concentration camps (which was very informative but hard to read). A fascinating look at food and history. But do get the hardback!
May 25, 2022
An interesting books best read in short bites 😉 which is fine as each occasion covers only four or five pages, mostly.
It gives a brief resume of each event which is interesting then you get the menu. Be aware that on kindle these menus are almost unreadable but the authors talk about them in the chapter so I felt I was getting the flavour 🤩of it.
I was amazed and horrified by the last great banquet thrown by the Shah of Persia, no wonder he had to go, such wasteful extravagance. Then you get President Mitterrand and his love of eating poor songbirds. Really!
It covers the rich, the famous, prisoners, suffragettes, historical figures like Pepys and Wellington and more modern day figures. It also gives as some interesting recipes (none include songbirds) that you could, perhaps, try at home.
Really quite interesting.
It gives a brief resume of each event which is interesting then you get the menu. Be aware that on kindle these menus are almost unreadable but the authors talk about them in the chapter so I felt I was getting the flavour 🤩of it.
I was amazed and horrified by the last great banquet thrown by the Shah of Persia, no wonder he had to go, such wasteful extravagance. Then you get President Mitterrand and his love of eating poor songbirds. Really!
It covers the rich, the famous, prisoners, suffragettes, historical figures like Pepys and Wellington and more modern day figures. It also gives as some interesting recipes (none include songbirds) that you could, perhaps, try at home.
Really quite interesting.
April 2, 2022
This book focuses more on the historical events for which these menus were created than on the history of food. Also, it's very English-centric. There are descriptions of English kings' banquets where they served thousands of roasted herons, swans, peacocks, etc. There are menus from Charles and Diana's and Elvis Presley's weddings, a menu from Darwinian "workhouse" for the poor, what English soldiers ate at WWI, etc. It's fine for entertainment value, but not very informative.
October 18, 2022
Fun , light book. Each menu is discussed for perhaps a page, would have been helpful if the menu reproductions in French would have also been included after translation to English. If one is interested in the idea, but would like more context, I recommend "Ten Restaurants that Changed America", although one clearly loses the Interntional scope of this book. This book is a quick read - get them both!
January 10, 2022
Informative, erudite, amusing, fascinating and never boring - what more could you want from a book. I strongly recommend you to give this to those friends of yours you don't know what to buy for their birthday and they already have shelves full of cookery books. Gourmet, glutton, foodie or historian, there's a plateful of fun in Menus that Made History.
April 18, 2022
Not bad, but more of a dip-in-and-out book than a page turner. The menus are organised first into vague categories, and then chronologically. However, I did feel like it could have benefitted from a more linear organisation. It felt a bit here-there-and-everywhere, with menus referencing each-other both backward and forward.
The individual menus were quite interesting though!
The individual menus were quite interesting though!
October 23, 2025
菸草口味的「燻慕斯」泡沫 / 伊波克拉（Ipocta）這種香料紅酒是西班牙桑格利亞水果酒（Sangria）的前身 / 烤皮蘋果（Pippin appl）/ 沃爾西則公認是第一個拿草莓配鮮奶油的人 / 壓軸的甜點是自由蜜桃蛋白酥蛋糕、水煮蜜桃佐杏桃雪酪，然後是巧克力利口酒、茶與咖啡 / 然而，皮普斯鮮少親自下廚，他收藏這些書應該是出於對烹飪科學原理的興趣，而不是想置身鍋碗瓢盆間、親手弄一道他最愛的生蠔 / 草莓葡萄雪酪佐天使蛋糕 / 夏綠蒂蛋糕
燉蘋果：
蘋果削皮切薄片。將切好的蘋果片置於平底鍋內，加入香草醬或肉桂粉，以及橙皮屑與少許水。小火慢煮到蘋果開始散開，用木匙幫忙把蘋果壓碎。等到蘋果的質地合意（我喜歡幾近果泥的口感），平底鍋即可離火，依喜好以蜂蜜調味。
燉蘋果：
蘋果削皮切薄片。將切好的蘋果片置於平底鍋內，加入香草醬或肉桂粉，以及橙皮屑與少許水。小火慢煮到蘋果開始散開，用木匙幫忙把蘋果壓碎。等到蘋果的質地合意（我喜歡幾近果泥的口感），平底鍋即可離火，依喜好以蜂蜜調味。
May 16, 2022
Fascinating
While a few menus turned my stomach, I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating look at menus through the ages. And I really, really want to make and eat the Gateau Concorde.
While a few menus turned my stomach, I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating look at menus through the ages. And I really, really want to make and eat the Gateau Concorde.
December 2, 2020
I absolutely love reading menus so this book was so up my street, really liked the format and just enough history about the food to stop it from becoming repetitive!
May 1, 2022
Fabulous read, illustrating history through food stories
May 9, 2022
Very interesting!
November 26, 2022
Fun read if you love food and history, but it's very UK-centric. I would have loved more menus from other countries.
January 19, 2024
Interesting Menus "but?".
The book, was interesting, but lacking in recipes? I expected more recipes, to be able to replicate some of the meals.
The book, was interesting, but lacking in recipes? I expected more recipes, to be able to replicate some of the meals.
September 17, 2024
Interesting but kind cursory. I did learn some fun little dinner party tidbits.
November 6, 2024
Fun menus and the intersection with history is good to know in the terms of culinary moments in time.
February 18, 2021
Drawing on the idea that a menu reveals a lot about its historical and cultural context, the author presents an eclectic set of menus along with a few recipes. Britain’s first Indian restaurant opened in 1810 when pineapples were at their height of popularity. In 1848, a lunch to celebrate the Albertine Statute, an important step to Italian unification, had one of the first menus in a language other than French. You can recreate the lentil and courgette fritters served at the Women’s Freedom League “Victory” Dinner to celebrate the passing of partial women’s suffrage in 1918. All in all, a fun read with lots of facts and interesting interpretations.
December 19, 2020
This was a fun read! The collection was diverse and the author did an excellent job of explaining curious or items of note. Nice book to read before bed since it isn't a continuous narrative.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews