The Hamburger: A History

Nonfiction, Food & Drink, Food Writing
Cover of the book The Hamburger: A History by Josh Ozersky, Yale University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Josh Ozersky ISBN: 9780300154023
Publisher: Yale University Press Publication: October 1, 2008
Imprint: Yale University Press Language: English
Author: Josh Ozersky
ISBN: 9780300154023
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication: October 1, 2008
Imprint: Yale University Press
Language: English

What do Americans think of when they think of the hamburger? A robust, succulent spheroid of fresh ground beef, the birthright of red-blooded citizens? Or a Styrofoam-shrouded Big Mac, mass-produced to industrial specifications and served by wage slaves to an obese, brainwashed population? Is it cooking or commodity? An icon of freedom or the quintessence of conformity?

 

This fast-paced and entertaining book unfolds the immense significance of the hamburger as an American icon. Josh Ozersky shows how the history of the burger is entwined with American business and culture and, unexpectedly, how the burger’s story is in many ways the story of the country that invented (and reinvented) it.

 

Spanning the years from the nineteenth century with its waves of European immigrants to our own era of globalization, the book recounts how German “hamburg steak” evolved into hamburgers for the rising class of urban factory workers and how the innovations of the White Castle System and the McDonald’s Corporation turned the burger into the Model T of fast food. The hamburger played an important role in America’s transformation into a mobile, suburban culture, and today, America’s favorite sandwich is nothing short of an irrepressible economic and cultural force. How this all happened, and why, is a remarkable story, told here with insight, humor, and gusto.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

What do Americans think of when they think of the hamburger? A robust, succulent spheroid of fresh ground beef, the birthright of red-blooded citizens? Or a Styrofoam-shrouded Big Mac, mass-produced to industrial specifications and served by wage slaves to an obese, brainwashed population? Is it cooking or commodity? An icon of freedom or the quintessence of conformity?

 

This fast-paced and entertaining book unfolds the immense significance of the hamburger as an American icon. Josh Ozersky shows how the history of the burger is entwined with American business and culture and, unexpectedly, how the burger’s story is in many ways the story of the country that invented (and reinvented) it.

 

Spanning the years from the nineteenth century with its waves of European immigrants to our own era of globalization, the book recounts how German “hamburg steak” evolved into hamburgers for the rising class of urban factory workers and how the innovations of the White Castle System and the McDonald’s Corporation turned the burger into the Model T of fast food. The hamburger played an important role in America’s transformation into a mobile, suburban culture, and today, America’s favorite sandwich is nothing short of an irrepressible economic and cultural force. How this all happened, and why, is a remarkable story, told here with insight, humor, and gusto.

More books from Yale University Press

Cover of the book "Partly Laws Common to All Mankind": Foreign Law in American Courts' by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book Performing Music in the Age of Recording by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book Yvain by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book The Old Boys by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book Spirit of the Buddha by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book What Stalin Knew by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book The Shameful Peace: How French Artists & Intellectuals Survived the Nazi Occupation by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book At the End of an Age by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book The Burning House by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book Readings in Latin American Modern Art by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book How the Bible Became Holy by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume V by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book Wild Soundscapes by Josh Ozersky
Cover of the book Whispering City: Rome and Its Histories by Josh Ozersky
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy