A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage provides an unconventional perspective on the historical stages of human development in the context of various beverages. This book addresses several periods and historical processes crucial to world history. Despite the book’s focus on drinks, the subject matter covers several critical historical aspects. For instance, the book directly or indirectly refers to several countries’ economic development and foreign policy. Therefore, this book allows the reader to assess several characteristics of different historical eras, utilizing the product of beverages as a central theme.
Sections of the book focus on different eras and varying degrees of credibility. The wide range of information and a severe focus on beverages result in questionable reliability, considering the lack of accurate data on specific historical events, including the origins of some products. Nevertheless, several examples allow the book’s material for more detailed historical research in various aspects. For example, one section of the book examines the role of tea within the British Empire (Standage, 2005). In this case, the material appeals to that country’s foreign policy concerning colonization and interaction with other nations. Thus, utilizing tea as a central topic, Standage allows the reader to assess the historical aspects related to the foreign policy of the British Empire, which primarily includes issues of colonial policy. Other instances, including the analogies with the popularization of Coca-Cola and the development of the United States, also require proper interpretation. Thus, if properly analyzed, this book is a source of information on various aspects of historical periods despite the apparent contrivance of part of the information.
This book is a controversial source for history study since it primarily concentrates on the development of various beverages and covers many historical periods. However, it contains information regarding the historical context that existed at the time of the popularization of the particular drink. Moreover, the use of some beverages directly impacted the politics of states, which in turn touched on several important historical aspects. Overall, despite the focus on drinks and the need for more verified information in some sections, this book is a potentially helpful resource for studying various aspects of world history in different periods.
Reference
Standage, T. (2005). A History of the World in 6 glasses. Walker Books.