Choice Review

Burnett has contributed to British social history a half-shelf of scholarly and accessible books, the best known probably being his history of food, Plenty and Want (London, 1966). His imaginative new book--with chapters on water, milk, tea, coffee, soft drinks, beer, wine, and spirits--argues that modern Britain has experienced two revolutions in beverage consumption. Hot caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, chocolate) arrived in the mid-17th century. Cold beverages became popular beginning in the 1960s, not only soft drinks but also lager beer and bottled water. Writing with clarity and verve (and memorable anecdotes), Burnett places beverage consumption in larger contexts such as the history of living standards and sociability. His book will be welcomed by the general reader and the teacher preparing a lecture. Scholars may question the reliability of some of his older statistics and wonder about gaps in his bibliography. For instance, Burnett seems unfamiliar with David W. Gutzke's Alcohol in the British Isles from Roman Times to 1996 (CH, Jan'97). All levels. D. M. Fahey; Miami University