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    The Book of Absinthe: A Cultural History
    The Book of Absinthe: A Cultural History
    The Book of Absinthe: A Cultural History
    Ebook390 pages4 hours

    The Book of Absinthe: A Cultural History

    By Phil Baker

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    A witty, erudite primer to the world’s most notorious drink.
     
    La Fée Verte (or “The Green Fairy”) has intoxicated artists, poets, and writers ever since the late eighteenth century. Stories abound of absinthe’s drug-like sensations of mood lift and inspiration due to the presence of wormwood, its infamous “special” ingredient, which ultimately leads to delirium, homicidal mania, and death. Opening with the sensational 1905 Absinthe Murders, Phil Baker offers a cultural history of absinthe, from its modest origins as an herbal tonic through its luxuriantly morbid heyday in the late nineteenth century. Chronicling a fascinatingly lurid cast of historical characters who often died young, the absinthe scrapbook includes Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Charles Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Dowson, Aleister Crowley, Arthur Machen, August Strindberg, Alfred Jarry, Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Alphonse Allais, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso. Along with discussing the rituals and modus operandi of absinthe drinking, Baker reveals the recently discovered pharmacology of how real absinthe actually works on the nervous system, and he tests the various real and fake absinthe products that are available overseas.
     
    “Formidably researched, beautifully written, and abundant with telling detail and pitch-black humor.” —The Daily Telegraph
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateDec 1, 2007
    ISBN9780802199775
    The Book of Absinthe: A Cultural History
    Author

    Phil Baker

    Phil Baker has a long career developing consumer electronic products, as well as working as a technology journalist and author. He has developed many iconic products for Polaroid, Apple, Seiko, Barnes & Noble, Pono, and others. Baker is the author of From Concept to Consumer and has written award winning columns for the San Diego Transcript, Recode, and others. Phil holds more than 30 patents and was Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for San Diego. Phil and Neil began working together to develop the Pono Music Player in 2012 and continue to work together on other projects, including the recently introduced Neil Young Archives, an online archive of Young’s lifetime of works.

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    Reviews for The Book of Absinthe

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Every time I go to my favorite liquor store I eye the beautiful green bottle of absinthe sitting near the counter, but have never given in. I still probably won't give in, but I can tell you that while reading this I kept thinking about trying it. Baker's book explores the fascination and lure of absinthe among influential artists, poets and authors since the 1800s, as well as on the public at large. Many of the names are familiar: Van Gogh, Lautrec, Wilde, Rimbaud; the accounts of these celebrated artistes and their experiences with absinthe make for great reading, and serve as a commentary on the Bohemian lifestyle. The book also discusses the ban on the spirit after the French government decided it was detrimental to the health and well being of its people; then goes on to look at its resurgence. Baker also provides a glimpse of the deleterious effects of wormwood on the brain of the user, likening it to a 1940s-era cocktail known as the "Mickey Slim," which added the extra little touch of DDT to provide the extra kick. Hmm. This is a very well-written account that could be read and understood by anyone. I was surprised to find out that absinthe is totally verboten to any US servicemen while overseas, or any government agents, but wait! There's Hillary Clinton sipping it in Prague (or did she just drink it without swallowing?) I think I'll stick to my Campari and soda, thank you very much....
    • 5/5
      This work, which details the cultural significance of absinthe during the 18th and 19th centuries, is brilliantly written and historically accurate. Phil Baker draws parallels between absinthe consumption and the literary movements in Paris and London, and does so with the grace of a poet and the historical accuracy of a scholar. I truly enjoyed reading the history of absinthe and its influence on the written word, and would recommend this book to any one interested n the history of the Green Fairy.
    • 5/5
      This book examines the history and culture behind the mystery of the quintessential "green fairy," and explains the stigma behind the wonderful concoction. It makes me want to grab my glass, sugar cube, and slotted spoon right now!
    • 5/5
      Wow. What an absolutely fantastic read. When writing about a subject like this an author could approach it from many avenues. A less creative author may dryly stick to the facts: when/where absinthe was invented, how it's made, and how it's enjoyed. However, Phil Baker decided to tell the story of absinthe or "The Green Fairy" though the eyes (our perhaps mouths) of the drinkers who made it famous (or infamous). Barker includes numerous and lengthy quotes from key figures of the late 19th century: Oscar Wilde, Ernest Dowson, Aubrey Beardsley, Aleister Crowley, Verlaine, Rimbaud, and Baudelaire, for example. He also provides quotes by 20th century notables like Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Picasso. He paints a vivid picture of the "Belle Epoch", and how absinthe played a key role in the development of the era's arts and culture. One of my favorite parts is his section on Parisian playwright Alfred Jarry (I'd never heard of Jarry before). Alfred Jarry is famous for inventing surrealist theatre. He was a very bizarre person; dwarfish in height, dyed his hair green, was fond of pistols, and a notorious absintheur. He often wore a ridiculously tall top hat (to make him appear taller), and was known for taking pot-shots at people while drinking absinthe in cafes. He lived in a strange low attic room in Paris. On the way up to his room one would take a winding staircase with bloody handprints covering the walls. Inside his low ceiling hung just inches above his head, so anyone visiting would have to sit or stoop over. Here he would perform bizarre puppet shows. I could go on -- this is just a taste -- unfortunately he died from drinking ether. Baker illustrates how absinthe was poorly (chemically) understood, became the scapegoat for society’s ills, and as a result was banned for nearly 100 years. Studies have since shown that absinthe neither causes hallucinations nor drives you mad. Bad batches from days with zero quality control gave it a bad reputation, not unlike bad moonshine. Since absinthe is extremely high in alcohol (averaging about 120 proof -- far greater than most whisky), it's more likely the destructive behavior and health problems associated with absinteurs was simply due to drunkenness and perhaps alcohol poisoning. The author also analyzes modern thought on absinthe. He talks about how due to the ban it's been mythologized and taken on a taboo mystique. Thankfully, after a century, governments have finally come to their senses. The absinthe ban has been lifted in France, Canada, and the US. This book was an incredibly fascinating and humorous read. I couldn't put it down. A can't imagine a better book on the subject. I'll end with a quote from Oscar Wilde regarding absinthe, "After the first glass you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world."
    • 4/5
      The Book of Absinthe was written just a few years before its "return" to the US, but it felt up to date. Neither a cautionary tale nor an ode, it is simply a history of the consumption and making of absinthe. Laced with character studies not limited to Wilde and Van Gogh, but especially centered on the "Decadents" of the 1890's, it's quite colorful. Included are excerpts from various writings, from poetry to fiction, and even criminal studies. There is also a review of various brands of absinthe currently out there. What I found most intriguing is the "cultural history"; basically how absinthe is viewed depending on time period and geographic location. For instance, its goth associations in modern US never quite took in the UK. Not a book that put me at the edge of my seat, but good enough. The jury's out on whether I'll actually try absinthe or not.

    Book preview

    The Book of Absinthe - Phil Baker

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