Fast and Feast
Food in Medieval Society
288 pages | 46 illustrations | 6 x 9 | 1999
Cloth edition is not available
ISBN 978-0-271-00424-2 | paper: $28.95 sh
"The topic is vividly described and plentifully illustrated."
—Manuscripta
"Although it is neither a detective story nor primarily a humorous work, there are elements of each in this lively and scholarly book on the broader aspects of food in the Middle Ages... If you would like to know how and when people fasted,... you can read about it here. You can also learn when to spit and how to share a drinking vessel with your neighbor with some delicacy. What was a banquet like?...If you are intrigued by any of this and much more besides, this is the book for you."
—Petits Propos Culinaires
"A fascinating narrative of food and life five centuries ago... this book is highly recommended to dietitians, nutritionists, lovers of food history, and students of medieval life and literature."
—Journal of the American Dietetic Association
"... delightful illustrations taken from illuminated manuscripts, and its wealth of information makes it a feast for anyone interested in the history of food."
—The Daily Telegraph (London)
"Her familiarity with primary sources is formidable, and we reap the benefit of years of scholarly sleuthing... a thorough, well-organized, and well-written study that will be valued not only by the academic, by the general reader as well."
—Library Journal
"... will become a necessary reference book for those studying medieval medicine and also for historians of nutrition, food, and social attitudes... highly recommended."
—Medical History
Bridget Ann Henisch is author of Medieval Armchair Travels (Carnation Press) and Cakes and Characters (Prospect Books) and co-author of The Photographic Experience, 1839-1914 (Penn State).