The Taste Of War

Taste of War: World War II and the Battle for Food by Lizzie Collingham offers a compelling and richly detailed history of how food—its abundance, scarcity, and control—shaped the course and outcome of World War II. This groundbreaking work reveals how the struggle for food was central to military strategy, political ambition, and civilian survival across both the Allied and Axis powers.

Collingham explores how the imperial ambitions of Germany and Japan were driven by a desire for agricultural self-sufficiency, and how these ambitions directly contributed to the outbreak of war. She examines the critical decisions made by both sides on how to feed their troops and populations, and how national ideologies influenced their treatment of those they were responsible for feeding.

Through vivid accounts, the book shows how Nazi policies tied to food access played a role in the mass murder of hundreds of thousands of so-called "useless eaters," and how Allied mismanagement and neglect also caused devastating famine and hunger in regions such as India, Africa, and China. The narrative reveals the winners and losers in the global battle for sustenance, providing a fresh perspective on wartime suffering.

Collingham also illustrates how American dominance during and after the war was fueled not only by industrial might but by agricultural abundance. The war years helped establish a global pattern of food production and distribution and spread American food culture worldwide in the post-war era. A work of exceptional scope, Taste of War connects the vast sweep of global history to the intimate human experience of hunger, survival, and adaptation.

Key Features:

• Author: Lizzie Collingham
• Richly detailed historical analysis linking food production to WWII strategy and policy
• Examines both Allied and Axis perspectives on feeding troops and civilians
• Explores the impact of wartime hunger and famine on multiple continents
• Connects the war to the global spread of American food habits post-1945
• Format: Soft cover
• Pages: 672
• Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.48 x 8.35 inches
• ISBN-10: 0143123017
• ISBN-13: 978-0143123019