Between Depression and Disarmament: The International Armaments Business, 1919–1939. Jonathan A. Grant. Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University Press, 2018, 228 pp. Appendix. Notes. Index. Tables. $99.99, hard bound

an extended chronological period. The focus on Transylvania and the Romanian Principalities, although explained in the introduction, deprives the volume from the rich exchanges throughout the Balkans. Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Greece, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, mentioned en passant, were all part of the Ottoman realm and also contributed to the flavored culinary exchanges. Even though most scholars mention the paucity of primary sources, which, to a certain extent, explains the belated attention to the history of food in this region, almost each chapter provides extensive empirical evidence. Indeed, many of the contributions are based on a close reading of valuable archival materials, but this often results in long descriptive passages. One of the “delightful” culinary threads, elaborated in many chapters, reveals how bread, the basic staple, had multidimensional material and symbolic value in diverse social, ethnic, and religious milieus. Yet it seems that the attempt to show the “variety of social contexts involving food” (9), engaged too many directions of research. The reader becomes “hungry” for some converging themes framed within a broader conceptual framework. One wishes that the authors had shed more light on the relationship between food choices and concepts of health and on the essential role of food within the family economy and childcare, to name just a few topics. Also, with a few exceptions, one can regret that a gender-sensitive approach to food production and consumption is not enough emphasized. While there are many superb illustrations, a glossary would also be a helpful addition and would have highlighted the rich but dispersed linguistic and cultural analysis of some terms. In sum, this work is a valuable contribution to the study of food and the formation of regional and national identities through material culture, symbolic rituals, stratified consumption, and cultural representations. It provides a contextual look at redefining the notion of prosperity through social attachments to food. Furthermore, the book contributes to de-centering the research on west European cuisine. By offering such transnational readings to a variety of social contexts involving shared cuisine, the authors promote not only academic dialogue, but also address social interconnectedness in a novel way and suggest new venues for research. Additionally, by interpreting archival materials in multiple languages, this collection brings fresh perspectives to an English-speaking audience. The book would thus be of interest to students and researchers engaged in social and cultural history and interdisciplinary studies.