Cod

The great codfish: root of revolutions and wars, centerpiece of diets and economies, and the foundation of North American settlement. To the millions it has sustained across the world, it's been a treasure more precious than gold.

Codfish history spans a thousand years and four continents—from the Vikings, who pursued it across the Atlantic, to the enigmatic Basques who commercialized it; from the apt naming of “Cape Cod” in 1602 to the ongoing battle for proper fish ‘n’ chips. Kurlansky expertly steers through it all, introducing the explorers, merchants, and chefs whose lives were interwoven with this prolific fish and punctuating their stories with gastronomic detail, recipes, and lore.