Celeste reviewed Scurvy by Stephen Bown
Review of 'Scurvy' on 'Goodreads'
More than anything else, this book made me want to eat lots of citrus. I thoroughly enjoyed both his discussion of the medical side of scurvy (very graphic fyi), and his characterizations of specific figures and injections of personalities into their stories and roles in studying scurvy and sailing and such. But whenever he ventured into making grand uncritical proclamations about great British royal navy age of sail curing scurvy greatest world power course of world history military genius war guns control of the seas imperialism colonialism eurocentric hoopla, it became both uninspiring and problematic.
More than anything else, this book made me want to eat lots of citrus. I thoroughly enjoyed both his discussion of the medical side of scurvy (very graphic fyi), and his characterizations of specific figures and injections of personalities into their stories and roles in studying scurvy and sailing and such. But whenever he ventured into making grand uncritical proclamations about great British royal navy age of sail curing scurvy greatest world power course of world history military genius war guns control of the seas imperialism colonialism eurocentric hoopla, it became both uninspiring and problematic.