A History of Vodka Paperback - 1992
by William Pokhlebkin; Renfrey Clarke (Translator)
From the rear cover
Savoured by peasants and Tsars, condemned by clerics and the architects of perestroika - vodka has been the joy and the scourge of the Russian nation for centuries. But what are the origins of the Russians' favourite drink? Did vodka emerge as an authentic national discovery from the brewing-shops or the monasteries of medieval Russia, or was the secret of its preparation imported from elsewhere? When was it that people first experienced vodka's now famed property of 'knocking drinkers off their feet'? With formidable scholarship and considerable dry wit, William Pokhlebkin, one of Russia's best-known historians sets out on the detective trail. His aim: to reveal the strange truth about his country's most famous tipple. The result is a triumph of historical deduction. As he uncovers the social, economic and technological background to the emergence of vodka, and indeed tells us how and with what the spirit should be drunk, the author creates an unconventional but true-to-life portrait of the society and social psychology that gave birth to today's Russia. He argues that those who have controlled the vodka stills have controlled the destiny of Russia - first the Boyars, then the Tsars, and in this century the Bolsheviks. In Pokhlebkin's view Gorbachev unwisely attempted to suppress vodka, allowing the Mafia to seize control of its production and distribution. Perestroika was thus doomed. Pokhlebkin believes that both prohibitionism and drunkenness are scourges which encourage one another. He insists that vodka itself doesn't make people drunk, only irresponsible and uncultured ways of consuming it. A History of Vodka is the work not only of a fine scholar but of a passionate advocate ofthe virtues of vodka and a stern critic of those who have misused it.
Details
- Title A History of Vodka
- Author William Pokhlebkin; Renfrey Clarke (Translator)
- Binding Paperback
- Edition First Edition
- Pages 238
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Verso, New York, New York, U.S.A.
- Date 1992-12-17
- ISBN 9780860913597 / 0860913597
- Weight 1.15 lbs (0.52 kg)
- Dimensions 9.52 x 6.4 x 0.91 in (24.18 x 16.26 x 2.31 cm)
- Ages 18 to 18 years
- Grade levels 13 - 13
- Library of Congress subjects Vodka - History, Vodka industry - Russia (Federation) -
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 93136585
- Dewey Decimal Code 663.5
Media reviews
Citations
- Publishers Weekly, 10/26/1992, Page 0
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