Skip to content
Home/ Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World

No customer reviews yet ISBN 9780140275018 Penguin Books

"Cod" spans a thousand years and four continents. From the Vikings, who pursued the codfish across the Atlantic, and the enigmatic Basques, who first commercialized it in medieval times, to Bartholomew Gosnold, who named Cape Cod in 1602, and Clarence Birdseye, who founded an industry on frozen cod in the 1930s, Mark Kurlansky introduces the explorers, merchants, writers, chefs, and of course the fishermen, whose lives have interwoven with this prolific fish. He chronicles the fifteenth-century politics of the Hanseatic League and the cod wars of the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. He embellishes his story with gastronomic detail, blending in recipes and lore from the Middle Ages to the present. And he brings to life the cod itself: its personality, habits, extended family, and ultimately the tragedy of how the most profitable fish in history is today faced with extinction. From fishing ports in New England and Newfoundland to coastal skiffs, schooners, and factory ships across the Atlantic; from Iceland and Scandinavia to the coasts of England, Brazil, and West Africa, Mark Kurlansky tells a story that brings world history and human passions into captivating focus.

About the author

Product details

BrandPenguin Books
Pub dateJul 1, 1998
ISBN-100140275010
ISBN-139780140275018
LanguageEnglish
Dimensions7.1 × 0.5 × 5.1 in
Weight0 lb
Last updated 2026-09-07 19:08
$12.78 $18.00 29% off
You save $5.22 · list price $18.00
In stock — ships in 24 hours with free tracking
Delivery by Monday, September 14, 2026
Qty
Sign in to Add to Saved list
Free delivery on orders over $35.
15-day returns. Any reason.
Secure checkout. We never store card details.

Readers who bought this also bought

More from Animals - Fish
See all
Fisheries of the United States, 2007
<p><br /><b>NOTE: NO FURTHER DISCOUNT FOR THIS PRINT PRODUCT--OVERSTOCK SALE -- Significantly reduced list prices while supplies last</b><br /><br /> Contains a preliminary report for 2007 on commercial and recreational fisheries of the United States with catches in both the United States and foreign Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). Provides timely answers to frequently asked questions.<br /><br /> Fisherman, ecologists, natural resources specialists, oceanographers, biologists including fisheries and marine biologists, and aqauatic conservation professionals may be interested in this volume. Students pursuing coursework in oceanic environmental science, aquatic ecology and fish habitats or conservation genetics may also find this research helpful for their assignments.<br /><br /><br /> Related products: <br /> Updated and current print volume--<b> Fisheries of the United States, 2014</b> can be found here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/003-020-00200-5<br /><br /><b>Fishery Bulletin print periodical subscription</b> provides original research within the broad discipline of fishery science can be found here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/703-023-00000-2?ctid= . Subscription issues include research fields covering the following: ecology, oceanography, and limnology&#x3b; mariculture&#x3b; ocean pollution&#x3b; physiology, behavior, and taxonomy of fishes and other marine organisms&#x3b; gear technology&#x3b; and mathematics, statistics, and economics relating to commercial and recreational fishing practices</p><p><b>NOAA Strategic Plan for Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems: Research, Management, and International Cooperation</b> is available here: https: //bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/003-017-00560-7</p>"
$23.69