The Curious History of Vegetables

Couch potatoes are idlers, cabbageheads are dunces, swede-bashers are stupid and you may as well give up life if you become a vegetable. A vegetable existence may imply dull monotony, but the humble vegetable has sparked protests, threatened to topple a British government and almost triggered a revolution. From the Scottish Presbyterian campaign against the 'sinful potato' to the class act that turned the carrot into a propaganda tool, from garlic inscriptions on Egyptian pyramids to Neolithic broad beans and medieval cabbage, and from the Dig for Victory campaign to competitive vegetable growing, The Curious History of Vegetables highlights just how vital our produce really is.

BILL LAWS has written seven books on garden history; his last title, Artist's Gardens (Ward Lock, 1999) has sold 20,000 copies in the UK. He writes for The Telegraph, Sainsbury's Magazine and Period House. Formerly a professional gardener, he manages an organic garden on the Welsh borders.