The Salt Roads is history, action on the high seas, personal memoir, folk tales and philology. 'This intriguing non-fiction title examines the economic boom of Shetland's salt fish trade.' Should be required reading for the next century. 'The book takes the reader to the wild waters of the North Atlantic and tells the story of how over the centuries the Shetland fishing industry not only inspired and affected the islands’ culture, but also shaped people far beyond its shores.' The Salt Roads When an Afro-Caribbean goddess of sexual desire and love is manifested on a nineteenth-century Caribbean island, she explores her newfound powers by traveling through time and space, inhabiting a midwife, a mixed-race Parisian dancer, and an enslaved prostitute in ancient Alexandria. it should be required reading for anyone who still thinks of Shetland as a remote, marginal outpost.' ' The Salt Roads is a valuable reminder of a forgotten time. Tells the fascinating tale of how salt fish exports transformed Scottish island life forever'

'John Goodlad's approach to the story of salt fish and Shetland feels rather like a masterclass in how to make history approachable, accessible, readable and entertaining.' The Salt Roads: How Fish Made a Culture (Birlinn, 2022) by John Goodlad is the extraordinary story of how salt fish from Shetland became one of the staple foods of Europe, powered an economic boom and inspired artists, writers and musicians. 'Tells the extraordinary story of how salt fish from the isles became one of the staple foods on the Continent.' 'In his fascinating account of the part played by in the harvesting of cod and herring from the North Atlantic, John Goodlad raises vital questions about the world's food supplies.' 'As bright and illuminating as the fish that are the subject of his writing, John Goodlad casts a sweeping eye over the North Atlantic fishing industry in the pages of this richly informative book.'

The salt roads book