Ice is taken for granted in today's world, but this fascinating
book by Gavin Weightman, author of several works on the history of
London, describes the great struggle to shape a taste and create
markets for 'frozen water'. In the 19th century America became the
world's first refrigerated nation, at a time when cold drinks were
a novelty in Europe and when the laws of thermodynamics were
imperfectly understood. Frederic Tudor, the Boston Ice King, was
the presiding genius and buccaneering merchant in this endeavour.
He was born in 1783 and died 80 colourful years later, by which
time the jewel in his crown was the ice trade from Boston to
Calcutta. A man of rare resilience, he endured vagaries of fortune
which would have broken a lesser being: his life was a juggling act
during which he was alternately raising loans and being jailed for
debt. When he was at liberty he travelled continually in order to
establish businesses and to avoid the dread yellow fever. He
speculated in coffee and failed, but then recouped his fortunes
through the ice trade. At the age of 50 he married a 19-year-old,
by whom he eventually had six children. This thoroughly researched
book depicts an age of progress, during which daring men
experimented with technology, invested money and risked their lives
in order to succeed in a business that was initially widely
ridiculed. Eventually, however, the ice harvests drew spectators,
and an 'ice famine' became something to be feared. Famous
characters such as Cobbett and Thoreau haunt the pages of this
account, and the atmosphere of exotic places in America's Deep
South, India and the West Indies is convincingly evoked. Weightman
has succeeded admirably in bringing an almost forgotten episode in
American history back to life. (Kirkus UK)
"Irresistible…an engaging page-turner, zipping with excitement, drama and intrigue"
JENNIFER NIVEN, author of 'The Ice Master'
On 13 February 1806 a ship left Boston bound for the Caribbean island of Martinique, with a cargo that few imagined would survive the month-long journey. Packed in the hold were large chunks of ice from a frozen Massachusetts lake. This was the first venture of a young Bostonian, Frederic Tudor, who imagined he could make a fortune selling ice to tropical countries.
Ridiculed from the outset, Tudor endured years of hardship before he was to fulfil his youthful dream. Over thirty years he extended the 'frozen water trade' to Cuba, New Orleans, New York and London, and finally – to the astonishment and delight of the British Raj – to Calcutta, when in 1833 more than 100 tons of ice survived a four month voyage of 16,000 miles with two crossings of the Equator.
Thanks to his astonishing enterprise, iced drinks, chilled beer and home-made ice cream became an essential part of life for millions of people around the world, long before artificial refrigeration became available – after which the trade melted away, leaving little to show that it had ever existed.
"If you are looking for a classic example of the most particularly American virtue – commercial ingenuity boosted by extraordinary perseverance – then Frederic Tudor is your paradigm"
GEOFFREY MOORHOUSE, 'Guardian'
"A book for anyone who loves tales of seafaring history and biography all rolled into one"
DAVID HAYS, co-author of 'My Old Man and the Sea'
General
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!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
