Cod : A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World — 30th Anniversary Edition

Bestselling author Mark Kurlansky’s classic history of the mighty fish that became “the tragic fable of our age” (Bill McKibben)—updated with a handsome new package and foreword for its 30th anniversary.

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.

A modern classic, Cod is now celebrating its 30th anniversary, and this “bitter ecological fable” (Los Angeles Times) is ever closer to its end. As our oceans warm and the codfish faces extinction, Kurlansky’s dazzling history—featuring new and updated material—is more ensnaring than ever.