The Shameful History of Sugar

Sugar is not a sweet subject, argues James Walvin. His new book offers a convincing, deep history of this (in)famous product. It is also full of fascinating facts, such as the first English encounter with sugar, during the Crusades, where it was called ‘candy', the contemporary name for Crete, where it was grown. He explains how a product that was ‘once the prized monopoly of kings and princes' filtered down to the common people and became an essential ingredient of the modern world.