Given the substantial place drink has in our culture and history, it is astonishing that no-one before now has written a book devoted to it. In his introduction to A History of Drinking: The Scottish Pub Since 1700 (EUP, 80/ 19.99), Anthony Cooke reflects that many Scottish historians have exercised a kind of self-censorship on the subject. It ... Read moreis a lamentable oversight, especially given the colour of the material to draw on, and Cooke describes ale houses, pubs, hostelries, shabeens, lounge bars, howffs, landlords and 'luckies' with a verve to match the stories he findsELan enthralling and oddly sobering piece of work.
Rosemary Goring, Scottish Review of Books Cooke has done a great deal to show us the diversity of the place over three centuries. He has laboured hard, using a huge diversity of archival sources, and has read widely in literature and local history to show the ways in which the Scottish pub distilled so much of our culture in one room. He fixes details on the economics and demographics as well as the society of the bar; he gives us prices and valuations, numbers of pubs per inhabitant, and builds a well-written account of the commerce, sociability and drinking communities of the country. The narrative is pacy, bowling the reader through the story with acumen and insight.
Callum Brown, Reviews in History Magnificent...it is a real joy to find such an erudite exposition on Scottish pubs, drinking and temperance in their proper historical context...there are some fascinating insights into how others saw Scottish drinking places at different times in history.
Allan McLean, Scottish Local History Provides a much needed examination of the Scottish pub, a subject that has been neglected for far too long. Primary sources, especially accounts by those that visited pubs over the 300 year period covered by the study, offer interesting and informative insights. Furthermore, the author's analysis is backed up by a good use of statistics and the book is well illustrated throughout. What one takes away after reading this book is how important the pub is for the author and not just on an intellectual level, his genuine affection for this Scottish institution is obvious.
Tim Holt, Brewery History Given the substantial place drink has in our culture and history, it is astonishing that no-one before now has written a book devoted to it. In his introduction to A History of Drinking: The Scottish Pub Since 1700 (EUP, 80/ 19.99), Anthony Cooke reflects that many Scottish historians have exercised a kind of self-censorship on the subject. It is a lamentable oversight, especially given the colour of the material to draw on, and Cooke describes ale houses, pubs, hostelries, shabeens, lounge bars, howffs, landlords and 'luckies' with a verve to match the stories he findsELan enthralling and oddly sobering piece of work.
Rosemary Goring, Scottish Review of Books Cooke has done a great deal to show us the diversity of the place over three centuries. He has laboured hard, using a huge diversity of archival sources, and has read widely in literature and local history to show the ways in which the Scottish pub distilled so much of our culture in one room. He fixes details on the economics and demographics as well as the society of the bar; he gives us prices and valuations, numbers of pubs per inhabitant, and builds a well-written account of the commerce, sociability and drinking communities of the country. The narrative is pacy, bowling the reader through the story with acumen and insight.
Callum Brown, Reviews in History Magnificent...it is a real joy to find such an erudite exposition on Scottish pubs, drinking and temperance in their proper historical context...there are some fascinating insights into how others saw Scottish drinking places at different times in history.
Allan McLean, Scottish Local History Show Less