The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell

Author Mark Kurlansky embarks on a history of New York from the unique perspective of an oyster. As it turns out, oysters have been key to a surprising amount of that area's history. The Indians loved them. The Dutch were crazy for them. The English pined for them. And the growing American city was no different. Now, of course, it's unheard of to dip into the East River and eat anything one might retrieve. Kurlansky makes the interesting observation that for a maritime colony, New York City has come surprisingly out-of-touch with the sea. The book drags a little in the middle, and perhaps has more recipes than most readers of a history book might really want, but overall it's quite enjoyable. I listened to this one on MP3, and the voice narration was very good.