About:
Man on Fire: Of Life, Love, Literature, and Really Good Barbecue by Steven Raichlen is delightful memoir of this BBQ legend. Mr. Raichlen, a Baltimore kid turned his degree in French Literature into a career in... barbecue.
- 7 hours and 59 minutes
- Publisher : Brilliance Audio
- Language : English
- ASIN : B0HC78F1MZ
- Narrators: George Newbern
My rating for Man on Fire - 5
Buy Man on Fire from Amazon.com*
More books by Steven Raichlen*
More books narrated by George Newbern*
Thoughts:
Mr. Raichlen lived a life enough for several of us. A scholar of French Lit, he became a restaurant critic in Paris, a freelance writer, a successful author of The Barbecue! Bible, and a TV host of his own cooking show.
Man on Fire by Steven Raichlen is not just a memoir, but also a celebration of food, travel, starting several businesses, and curiosity. The book starts out with the author's upbringing in a Baltimore Jewish family, and follows him through his college career, cooking and writing career and his life today.
Like many other memoirs, the charm is not in the big, overarching story, but in the small memorable moments which make our lives interesting. He tells of his friendship with Julia Child, starting a cooking school, and doing battle with the most known chef in Tokyo, among many others.
Were you surprised to learn that America's master griller started his career in French literature and medieval studies, or do you think a liberal arts background naturally feeds culinary creativity?
I enjoyed the audiobook with its self-depreciating humor, including a critical look at his performances on television, from the Today Show to his own show. I watched a few episodes, and I must agree that he's certainly not a natural in front of the camera, but the food he cooks is fantastic.
The narration by George Newbern is warm and charming. He certainly tapped into Steven Raichlen's passion for food, travel and telling stories.
I listened to a galley, but the audiobook includes a PDF with 25 of Mr. Raichlen's recipes, which I'll need to get my hands on and try out. Just a fair warning, this book will make you hungry.
Buy Man on Fire from Amazon.com*
More books by Steven Raichlen*
More books narrated by George Newbern*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this audiobook for free
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
