Review
“Stewart Lee Allen is the Hunter S. Thompson of coffee, offering a wild, caffeinated, gonzo tour of the World of the Magic Bean. His wry, adventurous prose delights, astonishes, amuses, and informs.”–MARK PENDERGRAST Author of Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World — Review
Review
“Stewart Lee Allen is the Hunter S. Thompson of coffee, offering a wild, caffeinated, gonzo tour of the World of the Magic Bean. His wry, adventurous prose delights, astonishes, amuses, and informs.”–MARK PENDERGRAST Author of Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World
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September 4th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
In The Devil’s Cup, Stewart Lee Allen decides to travel the world in search of the history of coffee. He travels on a budget that leads to many interesting scenarios, such as crossing the Atlantic on a cargo ship with a handful of other passengers, that have little to nothing to do with coffee. Much of his info on the history of coffee in Europe is a recitation (although amusingly told) of more staid histories of coffee. He spends most of his travels looking for either the best or worst cup of coffee. After I finished the book, I felt like I had read several good anecdotal stories and legends about the origins and history of coffee, and had also read a rather crazy, but interesting, travelogue that loosely related to the spread of coffee from Africa to the rest of the world. It was a fun read and worth reading, but I am still looking for a more focused and complete history of coffee.
September 4th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who knew?
I love to travel, am interested in history, and drink more coffee than is probably healthy every day. This book was right up my alley.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
The Devil’s Cup is a very enjoyable book…
It’s not just a history book. It’s not just a travelog. It’s not just an essay on the politics of the import and export of a consumer good. It’s more than that, it’s an adventure that follows the trail of that most wonderful beverage, coffee. Where did coffee originate from? How did it make it’s way from country to country, from continent to continent? Who was responsible for the many moves that coffee has made? For the different ways that coffee is enjoyed? How do different cultures view this magnificent bean? What role did coffee play in the creation of civilization? Of the shaping of our globe as it is today? These are the sorts of answers you’ll find within this book, but not presented to you in a bland history bookish sort of way… No, no, the answers lie within tales of travel and first hand accounts of experiences with the actual places involved…
And all of this comes with a ribald sense of humor, a fantastic sense of adventure and stories that will have you running off to grab a cup of Joe to enjoy this book with.
September 4th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
I came across this book by accident and bought it out of my sheer love for coffee. But the book not only has the great tale of how coffee came from Africa and made it’s way all over the earth to the daily drink we know today, it also is a first rate travelogue. The author follows coffee’s migration from Africa to Europe. Mr. Allen has quite a knack for finding and reporting his adventures and misadventures with a fun easy to read style.
If you like non-fiction travelogues, then do yourself a favor and buy this book.
September 4th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Java-Fueled Jaunt
The Devil’s Cup is the best kind of quest story — a man in pursuit of something he loves for no reason other than to satisfy his own curiosity.
September 5th, 2009 at 2:02 am
3.0 out of 5 stars
funny and easy to read, but a bit watery
a hybrid between “a history of the world according to coffee” (subtitle) and stewart lee allen’s research travelogue, the book follows allen who follows coffee’s historical and…
September 5th, 2009 at 2:19 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
amp up on the mocha and read
This is a must read for Barista’s. A rollicking adventure/travel/history book. Makes your everyday cup of Joe an event. This could be on Coast-to-coast radio.
September 5th, 2009 at 3:34 am
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Half Full Demi-Tasse
I received this book as a gift and was hoping for a more informative book about coffee, its history, and its intricacies.
September 5th, 2009 at 4:14 am
4.0 out of 5 stars
A gonzo tour with the Magical Mystery Bean
Stewart Allen’s “The Devil’s Cup” is one of those books that appear to suffer somewhat from a case of multiple personality syndrome.
September 5th, 2009 at 6:57 am
4.0 out of 5 stars
Writing on a Coffee Buzz
I enjoyed this book by Mr. Allen. It is basically a personal narrative on his travels so it can also be considered a travel essay.
September 5th, 2009 at 8:24 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting, humorous, and addicting
I’m a huge fan of the food-history-travelogue style of writing, and this book satisfied my craving quite nicely.
September 5th, 2009 at 10:36 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
You think you know the history of coffee?
Allen does a great job in adding adventure to the story of coffee. I love the travel adventure genre and this fits right in with a little history for good measure.
September 5th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
A caffeinated read!
This book is sure to keep both food and travel enthusiasts happy. It is quite a treat for history buffs too. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.