A global history of grain, how it affected not only food supply but the rise and fall of empires, how the grain trade routes were integral to the politics of power, and how the price of grain, and therefore bread, influenced world history. It’s an intriguing premise. I’m not knowledgeable enough to judge whether all the author claims is irrefutable fact – certainly some reviewers have stated that there are errors here – but for the lay reader there’s a lot to learn and it gave me a different perspective on commerce and the importance of commodities. Some of it I found heavy-going – I don’t find figures easy to grasp, and there are a lot here – and it felt repetitive on occasion, but the story of how one commodity is central to human existence, right back to pre-history, and how it shaped our modern world opened my mind to new ideas. Always a good thing.

I loved reading this book! I found the writing to be very insightful and interesting. I was intrigued by the premise and I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

My review appeared in Epoch Times. Due to contractual limitations, I cannot reproduce it here. It can be read online at https://www.theepochtimes.com/book-recommender-oceans-of-grain-how-american-wheat-remade-the-world_4252255.html

What a fantastic novel on the history of something so important to our daily lives and civilization.
The point of view from Nelson is brilliant, powerful, and impactful. It's a story about wheat but also humans and myths and stories.

This is not the genre of book I would normally pick up or be eager to read, but it definitely blew my expectations out of the water. I will definitely be more open-minded for genres outside of my norm.

Truly a great read that everyone should have on their shelves!

Remarkable History Of Wheat As Agent Of Change. This is one that I could make a case for either 4 or 5 stars for, and because of the doubt I ultimately sided with 5. The reason here is that while there is indeed considerable time spent on how American wheat of the Civil War/ Reconstruction era (and later) destabilized Europe and eventually led to the late 19th/ 20th/ 21st century histories we know and are actively living, there is also quite a bit establishing the history of wheat being a similar disruptor throughout all of recorded human history. Thus, while the description of the book paints it mostly as a tale of the past 150 ish years, it is actually a tale of the entirety of human existence and instead of the lasting points being about the more recent history, the lasting points (at least for this reader) are more about the overall history. Which was the crux of my internal debate. In other words, no matter the focus or points retained, this is a truly remarkable history of a particular commodity that gives a more complete understanding of major world events, particularly over the last 150 ish years. Very much recommended.

In 1783, James Madison was part of a Congressional Committee that issued a report (found here) on a list of books to be used by Congress. The books were on topics like the laws of nature and nations, treaties and negotiations, history, geography, the history of specific countries from Great Britain to China, politics and government, law, war, and American history. The list included hundreds of titles. This is a hint of how committed many of the Founders were to reading and learning about statecraft and the world around them. The Nathan’s Papers quarterly newsletter includes a list of “Books for Congress,” which includes books, many recent releases, that honor that same spirit of the 1783 report.

Oceans of Grain: How American Wheat Remade the World by Scott Reynolds Nelson manages to touch on nearly every subject of interest to Madison’s Congressional report. At its core, the book is a comprehensive history of grain production and consumption from 10,000 BC to World War I with heavy emphasis on the 19th century when U.S. grain began to dominate global markets. At the time, grain production was not only critical to feeding civilian populations, but also had a tremendous impact on wars and political disputes between countries that relied on the flow of wheat and flour to soldiers in the battlefield.

From a historical standpoint, Oceans of Grain goes much deeper than just the history of grain. The beginning chapters contain an overview of how grain exports spread plagues throughout Europe and Asia and the impact this had on global populations. Author Scott Nelson then explains his theory on how the production of wheat and demand for labor helped end slavery in the U.S. and serfdom in Russia at about the same time. The latter half of the book focuses on the end of monarchical rule in Russia and Europe and the spread of Marxism through the writings and political activity of individuals like Alexander Parvus and wealthy grain producer Leon Trotsky.

Throughout Oceans of Grain, Nelson weaves in a significant amount of European, political, and economic history. His writing style makes the complex content accessible and engaging for the average reader. Having more than a base knowledge of commodities, markets, and political theory is helpful, but not necessary, to glean the main points of his book. It is definitely a book to be kept as a reference on these topics, as it may be helpful to read certain sections more than once to truly understand how grain or any commodity can influence world politics, economies, and wars.

Beginning in Odessa, Scott Reynolds Nelson purportedly follows the shifting trading paths and patterns across the ocean to the American farmlands and around the world. In the Introduction, he claims to address the power of grain to impact world history, theorizing that the global locus of grain production is essential to developing a strong economy and that the history of war can be focused to the battle over this single resource.

Much of Nelson's thesis appears to be built on the writings and philosophies of late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century Marxist Russian activist Alexander Parvus. Indeed, the second half of the book read much more like a biography of Parvus than of bread, and while that was interesting in its own right, it was not what I was expecting, and then it became quite the admiring portrait of early Soviet politics whose only connection to the original claim of the book was Parvus himself.

There were a couple of interesting chapters about the power of bread, grain, and wheat trade to affect political patterns across the world. I was interested in the associations between different colors of bread and poverty (and the according nutritional shifts). I also found the reflections on American grain and the connections with slavery intriguing, but underdeveloped. Ultimately, I was seeking a history of bread, complete with nutritional, political, and social implications, and instead a got a history of little-known early Soviet figures who were themselves interested in the grain trade. This confusion of topics, in addition to being disappointing, also obfuscated the text and made the entire book a bit frustrating.

Ah this was so interesting! Why did I care about this? Nobody knows! But still, rather fascinating! I really enjoyed reading this--well written, super niche. Wouldn't be out of place as a podcast, actually.

A fantastic micro-history of one of the most important pieces of civilization. Nelson takes us on a fascinating journey through human history weaving in myth, songs, and stories to tell the history of humans and wheat. Should go on everyone's shelf right next to Kurlansky's Salt.