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It is not an exaggeration that espresso is at the core of Italian culture and history. Millions of espresso drinkers around the world attempt to capture a special "made in Italy" feeling in their coffee cups each day. But few are aware of how Italy became the world's leading espresso country or why the Italian espresso bar is so difficult to replicate elsewhere. In Espresso, Wendy Pojmann explores the history of coffee and espresso in Italy, studying the transformation of Enlightenment-era coffee houses into twentieth century espresso bars. Through analysis of the history of several famous and lesser-known coffee bars in Rome, Turin, and Naples, Pojmann invites readers to close their eyes and imagine the sights, sounds and, above all, the aroma of an Italian espresso bar.
About the author
Wendy Pojmann is Professor of History and Director of the Standish Honors Program at Siena College in Albany, New York. She is the author of two monographs, Immigrant Women and Feminism in Italy (2005) and Italian Women and International Cold War Politics, 1944-1968 (2013), lead author of the textbook Doing History: An Introduction to the Historian's Craft (2016), and editor of Migration and Activism in Europe since 1945 (2008). She has published articles in leading scholarly journals and several edited volumes. She is also a regular contributor to the motorcycle publication The Vintagent. Her teaching includes courses in world, European, and women's and gender history. Pojmann earned a Ph.D. in modern European history from Boston College. She is a near-native Italian speaker, holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Italy, and has lived in Italy and Germany as well as in many parts of the United States. She drinks an average of five espressos per day. Her current project examines motorcycle coffee culture.
Summary
In Espresso, Wendy Pojmann explores the history of coffee and espresso in Italy, studying the transformation of Enlightenment-era coffee houses into twentieth century espresso bars.
