Part treatise, part miscellany, unfailingly entertaining.-The New York Times A small pearl of a book . . . a great tale of the growth of a modern city as seen through the rise and fall of the lowly oyster.-Rocky Mountain News Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky tells the remarkable story of New York by following the trajectory of one of its most fascinating inhabitants-the oyster.For centuries New York was famous for this particular shellfish, which until the early 1900s played such a dominant a role in the citys life that the abundant bivalves were Gothams most celebrated export, a staple food for all classes, and a natural filtration system for the citys congested waterways. Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight-along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos-this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the seventeenth-century founding of New York to the death of its oyster beds and the rise of Americas environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the rough-and-tumble Five Points slums to Manhattans Gilded Age dining chambers. With The Big Oyster, Mark Kurlansky serves up history at its most engrossing, entertaining, and delicious. Suffused withKurlanskys] pleasure in exploring the city across ground that hasnt already been covered with other writers footprints.-Los Angeles Times Book Review Fascinating stuff . . .Kurlansky] has a keen eye for odd facts and natural detail.-The Wall Street Journal Kurlansky packs his breezy book with terrific anecdotes. -Entertainment Weekly Magnificent . . . a towering accomplishment.-Associated Press