0
Your cart

Your cart is empty

Books > History > History of specific subjects

Buy Now

Water of Life - A History of Wine-distilling and Spirits from 500 BC to AD 2000 (Hardcover) Loot Price: R896
Discovery Miles 8 960
Water of Life - A History of Wine-distilling and Spirits from 500 BC to AD 2000 (Hardcover): C.Anne Wilson

Water of Life - A History of Wine-distilling and Spirits from 500 BC to AD 2000 (Hardcover)

C.Anne Wilson

 (sign in to rate)
Loot Price R896 Discovery Miles 8 960 | Repayment Terms: R84 pm x 12*

Bookmark and Share

Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days

This important book looks at the entire history of distilling in the Middle East and Europe from the earliest experiments by the Pythagorean alchemists of Ptolomaic Egypt in the fourth century BC to the commerical production of spirits to drink in the British Isles to the year 2000. It is important because Ms Wilson has explored byways of early history that have been little noticed by previous scholars. She links the art of distilling to alchemical practice; to the Dionysian cults of ancient Greece and Rome; to the development of the art by the Gnostic mystic Christian sects (who greatly influenced the Coptic church in lower Egypt and Ethiopia); to the researches of the Persians and Arabs; to the preservation of the art by various heretic cults in western Europe such as the Bogomils and Cathars and, of course, the Templars; then into more mainstream development by the medieval and Renaissance alchemists; before comparative relaxation into the domestic history of distilling in England for the manufacture of strong liquor and the making of medicinal and perfumed waters by members of the landed gentry. This is Dan Brown and the "Da Vinci Code" but written by a scholar and dealing with real-life matters not soft brain-candy. There are twelve chapters divided into three sections. The first is 'The Ancient and Early Medieval World'; 'The Eastern Mediterranean Region'; 'The Later Middle Ages'; 'Western Europe'; and 'From Early Modern Times to AD2000: The British Isles'. While treating extensively of the mystical, cultish and religious origins of distilling, as well as its links to early science, Ms Wilson looks closely at all forms of distilling in the British Isles. This work includes the manufacture of spiritous liquors such as whisky, gin, and others and the central part played in country house domestic life by cordial waters and other distillations manufactured with great skill by generations of housewives as home medicine and perfumery. The book does not treat, at any length, the history of spiritous liquors, including brandy, on mainland Europe.

General

Imprint: Prospect Books
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Release date: December 2006
First published: December 2006
Authors: C.Anne Wilson
Dimensions: 216 x 138 x 28mm (L x W x T)
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 300
ISBN-13: 978-1-903018-46-0
Categories: Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > General
Books > Health, Home & Family > Cookery / food & drink etc > Beverages > Alcoholic beverages > General
Books > History > History of specific subjects > General
Books > Food & Drink > Beverages > Alcoholic beverages > General
LSN: 1-903018-46-3
Barcode: 9781903018460

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!

You might also like..

Blood Brothers - To Battleground…
Deon Lamprecht Paperback  (1)
R290 R195 Discovery Miles 1 950
The Super Cadres - ANC Misrule In The…
Pieter du Toit Paperback R330 R220 Discovery Miles 2 200
The Truth About Cape Slavery - The…
Patric Tariq Mellet Paperback R330 R240 Discovery Miles 2 400
Women In Solitary - Inside The Female…
Shanthini Naidoo Paperback  (1)
R355 R305 Discovery Miles 3 050
The Lie Of 1652 - A Decolonised History…
Patric Tariq Mellet Paperback  (7)
R365 R314 Discovery Miles 3 140
Wits University At 100 - From Excavation…
Wits Communications Paperback R390 R305 Discovery Miles 3 050
Safari Nation - A Social History Of The…
Jacob Dlamini Paperback R320 R250 Discovery Miles 2 500
Stellenbosch: Murder Town - Two Decades…
Julian Jansen Paperback R335 R288 Discovery Miles 2 880
1 Recce: Volume 3 - Through Stealth Our…
Alexander Strachan Paperback R360 R309 Discovery Miles 3 090
Prisoner 913 - The Release Of Nelson…
Riaan de Villiers, Jan-Ad Stemmet Paperback R399 R343 Discovery Miles 3 430
The ANC Spy Bible - My Alliance Across…
Moe Shaik Paperback R355 R305 Discovery Miles 3 050
A History Of South Africa - From The…
Fransjohan Pretorius Paperback R718 Discovery Miles 7 180

See more

Partners