Hardback | |
June 30, 2020 | |
9780295747309 | |
English | |
296 | |
19 b&w illus., 1 map | |
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6.00 Inches (US) | |
1.2 Pounds (US) | |
$40.00 USD, £32.00 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Paperback / softback | |
May 10, 2022 | |
9780295750699 | |
English | |
296 | |
19 b&w illus., 1 map | |
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6.00 Inches (US) | |
.9 Pounds (US) | |
$30.00 USD, £22.99 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Communist Pigs
An Animal History of East Germany's Rise and Fall
The pig is a highly adaptive animal, and Thomas Fleischman uncovers three types of pig that played roles in this history: the industrial pig, remade to suit the conditions of factory farming; the wild boar, whose overpopulation was a side effect of agricultural development; and the garden pig, reflective of the regime's growing acceptance of private farming within the planned economy.
Fleischman chronicles East Germany's journey from family farms to factory farms, explaining how communist principles shaped the adoption of industrial agriculture practices. More broadly, Fleischman argues that agriculture under communism came to reflect the practices of capitalist agriculture, and that the pork industry provides a clear illustration of this convergence. His analysis sheds light on the causes of the country's environmental and political collapse in 1989 and offers a warning about the high cost of cheap food in the present and future.
About the Authors
Reviews
"[D]escribe[s] the shifting, meaningful relationship between hogs and humans, a relationship worthy of our attention."—Ohio Valley Review
" "[A] remarkable first book... "[P]acked with original insights. It represents a significant contribution to the intersecting histories of the environment, technology and science, and animals, and fills animportant gap in our knowledge about the relationship between communism, technology, and animals."—Technology and Culture
Endorsements
"Who knew that the pig would be a great subject around which to construct an entwined history of socialist economics and international relations? Like the extraordinarily adaptable animal that it showcases, Fleischman's well-written study ranges widely and digs deeply."—Donna T. Harsch, author of "One of the most innovative books of German history I've read in years."—Quinn Slobodian, editor of "A compelling and beautifully written book. Fleischman's analysis complicates our standard narrative of the GDR as being defined by the environmental pollution it left behind, and shows how the problems it encountered run deeper than the Cold War. By looking at its history through the prism of an animal—the pig—we learn a tremendous amount that we had not previously known. This is an original and important contribution to a growing field of political ecology in history."—Eli Rubin, author of
Hardback | |
June 30, 2020 | |
9780295747309 | |
English | |
296 | |
19 b&w illus., 1 map | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
1.2 Pounds (US) | |
$40.00 USD, £32.00 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Paperback / softback | |
May 10, 2022 | |
9780295750699 | |
English | |
296 | |
19 b&w illus., 1 map | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
.9 Pounds (US) | |
$30.00 USD, £22.99 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
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