Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink That Conquered the World

by Charles A. Coulombe

STATED FIRST EDITION. June 2004 Citadel hardcover, Charles A. Coulombe (Blessed Charles of A Holy Emperor and His Legacy). In this sweeping volume, Charles Coulombe explores the fascinating origins and far-reaching legacies of the drink that kept the British Navy afloat for 300 years' while establishing a colourful reputation as a mainstay of buccaneers, revolutionaries and trendsetters. From rum's role in the Boston Tea Party to its dubious distinction as the centre of the soul-crushing colonial Triangle Trade, here is the uncorked truth about the beverage that altered world history. Spiked with tantalising recipes, Rum is intriguing, informative and utterly intoxicating.' - Google Books

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Food, Food and Drink, Microhistory, Reference, Food History

288 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Roy-Charles A. Coulombe is an American Catholic author, historian, and lecturer. Coulombe is known for his advocacy of monarchism.

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying this book has some wonderful, detailed information about rum, rum's history, and the world's history as affected by rum. It strayed from the point here and there, and I was disappointed to not read anything about the alleged court case in 1970 over the invention of the Mai Tai (they say the court ruled in favor of Trader Vic). For the information in the book, solid 4 stars.

But why, you ask, does it get one star? Well, it gets one star because if I could give negative stars, I would. I try extremely hard to not judge a book by its author, so much so that if reading something from a new-to-me author, I will not read the author bio until I finish the book, if at all.

But I started to get a little uneasy around Chapter 9: Rum as Sacrament: Voodoo and Obeah. There were little things in the writing that showed biased reverence toward Christianity and Catholicism over the other religions, if even so subtle as how a god is referred to. So, I broke my own rule and read the author bio and lo! he has a lot of Catholic-centric writing under his belt.

Sneaky.

Or not sneaky. Just, I guess, naive of me to think that a book about rum might be safe from some tones.

And then, it was just downhill from there. The blatant insinuation that the choices to terminate a pregnancy or the choice to use contraception is indicative of shitty morals. The FUCKING AUDACITY that taxes on condoms and contraceptives should be dubbed "sin taxes," a label which already bothers me. And the the cherry on top, the fucking cherry on top for me was the phrase "terminating a fetus." One chooses to terminate a PREGNANCY. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know there are many other people who are fine with this sort of bias. It's just not for me. And yes, I know I'm going to get a bunch of you self-righteous, sexually frustrated haters commenting on this review, even though it's likely I know more about Catholicism than you do.

Maybe along with spewing hateful comments, you can pray for me! Bring a dollar to church and light a candle for me, etc. etc.

[Eric Zandona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 2.5 stars. While it covers more ground geographically it makes some incorrect claims. One bright spot about the book is its inclusion of historical rum recipes.

[Alex Orr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat reminiscent of "A History of the World In 6 Glasses", but not quite as tightly written. This is a book foremost about rum in history, and as such, leaves out a lot of information about the liquor itself. If you're interested in details regarding distilling, detailed overviews of individual rums, or even detailed histories of specific producers, you will be let down. However, as a rum-centric jaunt through large swaths of world-history, it's entertaining enough. I do think there are some areas where the author simply seems to meander too far; an odd section of personal editorial dealing with notions of freedom, government over-reach and drinking age; and too many grand historical events summarized too simply for comfort or easy comprehension. Furthermore, some of the cocktail recipes seem a bit off. All that being said, this was a generally enjoyable and informative read that will appeal equally to history buffs and boozehounds, two designations that I (unsurprisingly) fall under.

[Duzzlebrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much - I especially enjoyed reading it with a glass of rum at my elbow.

The basic theme of the book is that rum helped fuel the integration of the world into the global economy we have today. It has penetrated into very diverse cultures, and has been adopted and adapted into different times and situations. Each chapter deals with a specific aspect of rum's history, such as rum and piracy, rum and religion, rum and Prohibition, rum and the army. Interestingly, each chapter ends with a few recipes containing rum (hot beverages, puddings, even an aphrodisiac concoction) and the book ends with a review of the largest rum brands. The author's style is brisk and deals with large events in very broad strokes. The only niggle is that he devotes more detail to the corporate history of some rums than is interesting.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of many books that I read about beverages, social forces (fueled by beverages) and alcohol. Not all of them were great, or had sufficient research by the author (i.e. they repeated things which have been disproved). This book was good in most parts, with a few annoyances here and there. But, overall it is a good summary of "Kill-devil" and how it affected individuals, nations, and even continents.

[Adam Rosenbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most people know some of the history & import of crops such as tobacco & cotton in the US, and how they were instrumental to the growth of the country, and how slaves were very much a part of that success. But rum? Yes, in this history, rum, is one of the critical features for world-wide colonization in the 15th-18th centuries with Portugal France, Spain, Netherlands and of course Britain leading the way. And in order to plant, cultivate & harvest sugar cane, you needed slave labor, which West Africa supplied by the millions. Coulombe goes through the terrible Triangle Trade where rum for slaves and other goods (spices, gold) made African, US, and European merchants wealthy at a dire cost of human life. Rum became ubiquitous. British sailors and infantry relied on their daily "tot" of rum. Caribbean island religions and celebrations were rum fueled. Indigenous tribes around the world loved rum and in many case became heavily addicted and easily subjugated. Prohibition fomented "rum-runner" bootlegging, and in modern times, the creation of tiki culture. Coulombe paints a world where rum is integral to military campaigns, imperialism, religion, economy, and cultures from all over the globe.

[Anna Konya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm 21 pages in and I'm throwing in the towel with this one. There are factual inaccuracies which are almost mind-blowing in their unbelievability (eg Jean-Baptiste Labat did not invent the alembic still in 1693... that happened about 1400 years earlier).
The writing style is also flowery and at times offensively light-hearted. In the introduction he refers to the slave trade with phrases like "vendors of human beings" and "markets for their human wares" which disregards the suffering slaves endured.

Ultimately I can get beyond terrible wording and strange organizational patterns, but the inaccurate information is a complete no-go for me. I don't know what to believe in this book (considering I found such a big mistake in the first 20 pages) and I don't want to waste my time figuring out what is truth and what isn't.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps because I used to live in the French West Indies and rum became a part of my life, I thoroughly enjoyed this detailed look at rum's past. Although it focused more closely on British and American experiences with the drink, especially in the military, it gave light to a number of literary references I hadn't been aware of in years past. Coulombe does not exclude the many islands around the world that planted sugar cane and started distilling rum, and now I have a desire to try them all.

The book is filled with recipes that include rum. It even includes the Tom and Jerry, which I spent this last Christmas discussing with my neighbors. It is a Montana favorite. The batter is made in bars and sold in the Safeway supermarkets. Although Montana wasn't mentioned as one of the last vestiges of the Tom and Jerry, the book was thorough, insightful and fun to read. Perhaps I would only recommend it to people who love the drink as whole-heartedly as I do.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read that combined history and rum. Beginning with the so-called triangle trade in the 16th century up until the present day rum and important historic events combined very often. Specific areas of interest included the naval rum rations of the British and other navies as well as for soldiers of many countries. I was inspired in fact to purchase a bottle of the famous Pusser's Navy rum which is quite delicious. So if you enjoy Rum and history you will probably enjoy the book.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the type of books that give you history with your hobby. Fun read if you wanna learn how to make a Rum Punch and learn about the Triangle Trade at the same time.

[Dp4s · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food
- History - British

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book if you love rum and like history. There are good recipes throughout the book and an entry level explanation for the spread of slavery.