This is a history book looking at people’s relationships with herbs, with a focus on Britain, although the introduction gives an honourable mention to many traditional herbal practices from around the globe and chapter 3 includes recipes from all over the place.

Chapter 1 looks at notable figures in the history of herbalism in Britain, from various midwives to the ubiquitous Nicholas Culpepper. Sometimes it is their work itself that’s discussed, other times it’s their lives or the context in which the work was received. It also covers other related professions like botanical illustration, herb selling and strewing. If you pick up the book for the herbs themselves, this section may be a bit dry, because it’s focused on the history of the people, but I thought it was fascinating.

Chapter 2 moves on to the intersections between medicinal herbalism and magical thinking, as well as chronicling the herbs themselves and the different methods of preparing and using them. It’s very thorough.

Chapter 3 is about food, specifically about the way herb use in cooking has changed over time. It includes lots of historical recipes. However sometimes there was a claim was made about the effects of herb/food that weren’t clarified, so I couldn’t tell if this was a belief from the same time as the recipe, from alternative circles, or backed up by science.

I have only an amateur interest in history, so I cannot judge the quality of the historical investigation (although there are a pleasing number of footnotes and a chunky bibliography, which is a good sign). There were plenty of excerpts from primary sources, which I enjoyed. There were things that niggled however. For example, in a section about early British female herbalists: “Throw in some early medieval misogyny and male-dominated jurisdiction and the Witchcraft Act of 1542 was created.” The 1540s are, at best, in the late Medieval period (if not the Early Modern period) so I don’t know why legislation from then is being attributed to the early medieval, some 500 to 1000 years earlier. I look forward to reviews by actual historians for a critique of the subject matter.

Not terribly useful, mostly a rehash of things you could find more accurate info on in other books or even Wikipedia. There's some incorrect lore and other problems, so I'd stay away from this as a reference.

A History of Herbalism: Cure, Cook, and Conjure by Emma Kay

The book starts with an introduction that lists herbs for various purposes and then takes you on a brief world history tour of herbalism, starting with the Greeks and Chinese. Throughout the book examples of how various herbs are used are employed from sources from multiple countries.

There are three chapters. Chapter 1 goes over specific British herbalists, followed by information on those who worked in adjacent fields (sellers, hospitals, gardens, illustrators). Chapter 2 deals with magic and medicine, giving individual A-Z lists for both topics. Each listing mentions an anecdote or usage from a historic source. The book isn’t being comprehensive, there are only a few usages per herb, but it’s a great compilation that’s enlightening without being boring. Chapter 3 is on how herbs have been used in cooking. Here the author translates a number of interesting recipes. Be aware, with a few exceptions these are direct historical translations, meaning there are no measurements, so unless you’re used to using old cookbooks or are a trained chef, you’ll have a lot of experimentation ahead of you if you decide to make one of these recipes. The recipes are organized by topic, with most of them employing multiple herbs.

I was impressed with the breadth of sources Kay used. I learned about quite a few interesting British and medieval herbals (some of which you can find online as they are out of copyright), as well as herbs and herbals from other countries (including Nigeria, Japan, and the Aztec empire). I was impressed by the number of countries with written herbals predating the modern period, and with the author’s including recipes and herbal usages from so many of them.

The book ends with substantial notes and a bibliography.

There are a decent number of black and white photographs to accompany the text.

The text often jumps from one herb or topic to another with little to no transition, which I found delightful as it maintained interest when reading the book in its entirety, though some might find it disorienting.

This is a great book. It tackles a broad topic and has done an excellent job of maintaining interest while being enlightening. Even if you’ve read several books on herbs and herbals you’ll find something new here.

Thank you Netgalley, Emma Kay, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I received A History of Herbalism to review but what I did discover was a very thoroughly written British history of herbalism. From using herbs for health and healing to the darker side of magic and witchcraft, this book covers herbs in a very interesting way.

A History of Herbalism is written in three sections: the history of herbalism, the magic and medicinal history and uses of herbs, and recipes from the past using herbs.

In chapter one, the author shares the history of herbalism from the earliest of times and includes information from botanists, scientists, herbal practitioners, and illustrators to herbs being used in medical practices and hospitals. She includes information about herbal quackery and the hazardous uses of herbs.

Chapter two is all about herbs for medicinal and magical uses. She dedicates a section to each of the topics from A to Z. These sections are very interesting. The author uses actual archaic writings as the descriptions of the herb's uses and translates when necessary.

In the final chapter, the author shares (and translates) historical recipes to show the culinary traditions using herbs. Some of these recipes are even used for treating medical conditions, such as a fish recipe for jaundice.

All-in-all, A History of Herbalism was incredibly interesting and informative. I learned a lot about the people who were a part of herbalism, about the herbs themselves, and about the uses of herbs. This is a great book for those who are interested in studying herbalism and those who enjoy studying history.

By the time I finished reading the title, "A History of Herbalism: Cure, Cook and Conjure", I was already clicking my mouse to grab this book, which I did *not* set aside to read later. I gleefully dove into it immediately. Seeing as how I love history, and am a forager and user of medicinal and edible herbs, how could I not? The cover art is also enticing and delightful.

The book is divided into three distinct sections, so I'll talk about each of them in turn. Don't skip over the introduction though, it's packed with historic information that will give you some background and set the stage for the chapters to follow. Also, keep in mind that this book focuses mainly on British herbalism history.

Chapter 1: From 'Witches' to Botanists: British Pioneers, Popularists and Everyday Herbalists
Here's an absorbing mix of herbal medicine history, quotes from very old books, illustrations, photographs, and enough trivia to give you conversation fodder for the rest of your life. Those interested in Women's Studies will learn about the early history of white witches, midwives, and healers. It should come as no surprise that women excelled as herbalists, yet were often punished for practicing those skills. I also enjoyed learning more about quackery, herb illustrators, and the first hospitals.

Chapter 2: Magic and Medicine
Now we get into usage guides, one herb at a time. Many ancient incantations are included. I was amused by the entry on chamomile, which in part read, "Traditionally, it was grown in alleys and walkways and on the banks of rivers, as it was understood that the more chamomile plants were pressed and trodden down, the more abundantly they would grow." My own driveway is proof positive that this is the truth!

Chapter 3: Culinary Transition
This section covers the British use and importing of herbs for cooking. There's a wealth of medieval recipes, including the old medieval spellings - almaund mylke, anyone? Modern translations are included with each historic recipe. These are fascinating to read from so many angles - history, language and how it changes over time, the ingredients used, what properties were attributed to the ingredients... I was quite absorbed in this section (that's the foodie in me, I'm sure) and enjoyed reading every word. Oh, and I think Boiled Green Dumplings actually sound delicious, and I may attempt a version of them very soon.

For the academically inclined, there's heaps of cited references at the back of the book, and a large bibliography. This book should also be of great interest to authors of historical fiction, as a tool to help bring their stories to life.

My thanks to author Emma Kay, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

An herbal history written by a food historian. This is exactly something I find utterly intriguing, and I eagerly accepted the opportunity to read an advance copy of this.

Growing up, I was always fascinated by my Italian grandfather’s herb and produce garden - and helped him regularly, learning from his example and words. When I was playing alone, I would make potions. As I grew up, I studied herbs under a mentor for my own benefit and use, and once I became a parent and my youngest child was diagnosed with severe food allergies, given an epi-pen, and that one of her allergens would be so frequently found in many topical products, it was necessary to start making our skin care products and cooking everything from scratch. I started studying again, and became a certified herbalist over ten years ago. I’ve continued with my studies and recipe creation. What started out of need has become a pleasure.

I came to this book from the viewpoint that I am always learning; I will never know enough of the earth and what she gifts us. And this book was fantastic. Thoroughly and wonderfully fantastic. While I did find the history in the beginning of the book to read a little dry; all the rest was fascinating, including the recipes. This is a book I’ll purchase to put in my bookshelf alongside my collection of helpful herbal tomes.

All in all, this is a commendable, excellent resource, and one I especially recommend to herbal students, fans of history, other people in the world who are as obsessed as I am with really old recipes, and gardeners.

Food historian Emma Kay, author of "A Dark History of Chocolate," turns her attention to herbalism. This title is divided into three parts: a history of herbalism, an encyclopedic exploration of various herbs and their uses & qualities, and a selection of recipes. The galley had an incomplete table of contents. It did however have an extensive bibliography (pages 168-194). I found the first part, the history, a bit dry--it read like a dissertation or pathfinder. If it had not, my witchy friends would have been all over this title. As it is, this title is a pass for my collection--not enough for the witches, the botanists, or the gardeners to make it a worthwhile library purchase.

I chose this book in a whim and actually really enjoyed it. It’s out of my usual genre but found it engaging enough to read right to the end.

I love this! I'm off to buy a hardcopy right now. Amazing information about herbs, with their history and significance. Very nice as a gift and I love an engaging and educational read. Will be picking this up off my shelf often.

This is an fascinating book, it certainly covers herbs and herbalism. I found the old recipes especially interesting but no so sure they would go down well with the family. The diverse references to different historical periods were so well written. I learnt a lot. Will continue to dip in and out of this book.

I’ve read so much on herbs and am a clinically certified aromatherapist, but this history and the broader spectrum of information in this book really makes this like any other book I have ever ready on herbalism. Just like Christianity was based on Pagan beliefs, customs and holidays, here too we have examples of how herbs have fared over time and have come back around again.

If you are even slightly interested in this topic, this book will be a great read for you. if you’re into herbs and history, then this book is REALLY going to be a great read for you. I am highly impressed with the content and it will have a place on my bookshelf for years to come.

This book is an absolute joy to read and a fountain of information. If you ever need to know more about herbs and their origins then this the book for you.I will be rereading this quite a few times and buying for gifts. Well done Emma Kay.

This books was very well researched but dense. There was a lot of information but at times it felt disorganized and a bit like a knowledge dump.

Reviewing the Arc;
It looks to be well researched and have good content. Unfortunately the copy I received was hard to read as the font was very light almost not there in 80% of the book, as well as the structure (book format) was not there, just constant sentences no structure at all, which made this content very confusing.
I would love to see what the final copy is and review that honestly.

This is quite a comprehensive view of herbalism throughout the ages! Anyone who's interested in both history and herbal medicine will find this a fascinating read. It's a no-nonsense dive into the past views, pioneers, and uses of herbs in healing. I'd personally prefer maybe a bit of nonsense to lighten up the read, to make it easier to stay focused and less like reading a research paper, but to those who want straight-up facts and a textbook on the matter, this would be excellent!