Citrus:
A History by Pierre Laszlo
Chicago UP £14
In the mould of Cod by Mark Kurlansky, here is a scholarly and stimulating monograph. Laszlo, a retired French chemist, takes us on a journey from the orangeries of Versailles, via the limes of the Royal Navy to the citriculture of modern Florida. It was only in the 1920s, he tells us, that orange juice became “an integral part of the American breakfast”, after the great flu epidemic of 1918-19. Laszlo shows that the citrus fruit “is a treasure trove of chemicals that are highly useful to humankind” – which also happens to taste wonderful.
London Sunday Times, Nov 25