English Garden History

Its history stretches back almost to the founding of the nation and includes many colorful characters, both well known and obscure, from the hatchet-wielding prohibitionist Carry Nation to George Garvin Brown, who in 1872 created Old Forester, the first bourbon to be sold only by the bottle.

Since the Civil War, US soldiers and their canine companions have been inseparable. Over time, these dogs have shown they provide more than love. Stubby, a bull terrier in World War I, could sniff out poison mustard gas before any human in his division. Smoky, a whip-smart Yorkshire terrier, ran telegraph wire through no-man's land in World War II. Nemo, a tough-as-nails German shepherd serving in Vietnam, took a bullet in the eye, yet crawled on top of a gravely wounded soldier to protect him.

What determines what we eat today? Who decides what ends up on our dinner tables tomorrow? And what are the real origins of our favorite foods? Tom Hillenbrand takes readers on a fast-paced journey through the culinary history of the world—from the campfires of many thousands of years ago to the invention of corn to the hamburgers of the future. Filled with astonishing insights and surprising connections, Hillenbrand's essay is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking portrayal of what lies behind the food we consume every day.

In 1870 in Warrensburg, Missouri, a well-known foxhound named Drum was shot during a hunting excursion. Drum’s owner sued the shooter for damages, and lawyer and skilled orator George Graham Vest made the courtroom address on behalf of the plaintiff. What followed was, not a recounting of testimonies and evidence as expected, but a historical, poetic, and philosophical ode to man’s best friend.