In "Near a Thousand Tables, " acclaimed food historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto tells the fascinating story of food as cultural as well as culinary history -- a window on the history of mankind.In this "appetizingly provocative" "(Los Angeles Times)" book, he guides readers through the eight great revolutions in the world history of food: the origins of cooking, which set humankind on a course apart from other species; the ritualization of eating, which brought magic and meaning into people's relationship with what they ate; the inception of herding and the invention of agriculture, perhaps the two greatest revolutions of all; the rise of inequality, which led to the development of haute cuisine; the long-range trade in food which, practically alone, broke down cultural barriers; the ecological exchanges, which revolutionized the global distribution of plants and livestock; and, finally, the industrialization and globalization of mass-produced food.From prehistoric snail "herding" to Roman banquets to Big Macs to genetically modified tomatoes, "Near a Thousand Tables" is a full-course meal of extraordinary narrative, brilliant insight, and fascinating explorations that will satisfy the hungriest of readers.

[英]菲利普•费尔南多-阿梅斯托（Felipe Fernández-Armesto）

知名历史学者，同时也是家喻户晓的BBC（英国广播公司）节目主持人，被《纽约时报》盛赞为比肩吉本、汤因比、布罗代尔的历史学家。他的研究范围涵盖环境史、思想史、西班牙和拉丁美洲研究、全球史等多个专业领域，曾任教于大西洋两岸的多所高等学府，包括伦敦玛丽女王大学、牛津大学、塔夫茨大学、马德里康普顿斯大学等，目前是圣母大学历史系教授。

费尔南多-阿梅斯托著作甚多，包括《改变世界的观念》《大地上的文明》《大探险家》《美洲五百年》等，被译成27种语言，享誉世界各地。他的zui新著作《人类观念大历史》将由新思出版。这些作品为他赢得了诸多荣誉，如约翰·卡特·布朗奖章、英国国家海洋博物馆凯尔德奖章、世界历史学会图书奖等。因为对食物历史的出色研究，他还荣获西班牙国家美食大奖。2017年，费尔南多-阿梅斯托获得西班牙政府授予人文学者的至高荣誉——智者阿方索十世大十字勋章。