Books by Mark Kurlansky
Mark Kurlansky is an American journalist and author. He has written many books including global histories of Cod, Milk, Salt and Paper.
“I was rereading the Kurlansky during lockdown and it made me think that even when the world was shut up and closed there were these threads running around the globe in the water and in the sky being created by migrating salmon and swallows and turtle doves going to Africa and so on. Places are connected to other places by wild creatures. To lose the salmon—and Kurlansky makes it very clear that we might—would be to live in a more disconnected world.” Read more...
“Fascinating small book, immensely interesting and traces human acquaintance with this fish back for a thousand years.” Read more...
Denise Russell, Philosopher
“The book is really about the modernisation of the market and Paris, and French bourgeois society. It’s a study of the contrast of this individual who finds himself alienated from this rich, brilliant, new society. It is wonderfully described and even though much of that Paris has disappeared some of it is still around. The Belly of Paris is a wonderful book of imaginary history if you are at all interested in the creation of ‘modern Paris,’ meaning the city born in the mid-19th century.” Read more...
David Downie, Travel Writer
Interviews with Mark Kurlansky
Favourite Science Books, recommended by Mark Kurlansky
The bestselling author of Cod and Salt tells us about five science books he loves—from whales and snails to evolution and string theory—all of which make difficult subjects accessible
Interviews where books by Mark Kurlansky were recommended
Novels Set In Paris
If you’re planning a trip to the City of Lights—or in the mood for a bit of armchair travel—then you might like to get yourself in the mood by picking up a novel set in Paris. From the Francophone masterpieces of Victor Hugo to more modern classics by Hemingway and Mantel, you’re sure to find a book to suit your tastes among our expert recommendations.
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1
Down and Out in Paris and London
by George Orwell -
2
Journey to the End of the Night
by Louis-Ferdinand Céline (translated by Ralph Manheim) -
3
Overhead in a Balloon
by Mavis Gallant -
4
The Belly of Paris
by Emile Zola, translated by Mark Kurlansky -
5
Dictionnaire Historique des Rues de Paris
by Jacques Hillairet
The best books on Paris, recommended by David Downie
The best books on Paris, recommended by David Downie
The city of romance and art is also, like most big cities, a place of grit and grime. The American writer and long-time Paris resident David Downie tells us where to look if we’re to understand the people and past of this most alluring city.
The best books on The Sea, recommended by Denise Russell
The Australian environmental philosopher discusses man’s interaction with the oceans – from whaling voyages and dynamite fishing to sea gypsies and the flourishing business of piracy
The best books on Sense of Place, recommended by Patrick Galbraith
Novelists, non-fiction writers and poets all attempt to create immersive and atmospheric settings in their books—what is called a ‘sense of place’ in literary terms. Here, the British journalist Patrick Galbraith selects five books that explore and evoke a sense of place—including works by Joan Didion, Mark Kurlansky and John McPhee.
