THE TASTE OF WAR
A richly detailed and dazzlingly original world
wide history which takes a new perspective of the Second World War and
its aftermath, by a young and highly talented historian.
Food, and in particular the lack of it, was central to the experience of the
Second World War.
How were the imperial ambitions of Germany and Japan – ambitions which
sowed the seeds of war - informed by their desire for self-sufficiency in food
production? How was the outcome of the war affected by the decisions that
the Allies and the Axis took over how to feed their troops? What can we learn
about the belief systems of the combatant countries from their attitudes
towards those they had to feed? And how was American dominance, both
during and after the war, closely linked to their abundance of food?
In this highly ambitious, richly researched and engaging history, Lizzie
Collingham shows how control of food and its production is crucial to total
war. Tracing the interaction between food and strategy, on both the military
and home fronts, this wide-ranging account shows how access to food was
a driving force in sending both Germany and Japan to war, leading the
Nazis to decide deliberately to murder hundreds of thousands of ‘useless
eaters’ in Europe. Access to food also helped establish Communist support
in China.
Showing the winners and losers in the battle for food to eat, the book brings
to light the striking fact that war-related hunger and famine was not only
caused by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, but was also the result of
Allied mismanagement and neglect, particularly in India, Africa and China.
The book traces the establishment of a global pattern of food production
and distribution and the way in which the War subsequently promoted
the influence of American food habits and tastes in the post-war world.
The result is a book of great scope and rich detail, connecting the broad sweep
of history as well as its impact upon individuals.
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