I know this is tangential but it’s the kind of thing that makes me wonder if I’m missing something fundamental or if I should see it as reason to doubt other aspects of this book...
During a famine, peasant meals consist of stale bread moistened in water and mixed with goosefoot.
During a famine, why would there be stale bread lying around, let alone more of it than during good times?
I know this is tangential but it’s the kind of thing that makes me wonder if I’m missing something fundamental or if I should see it as reason to doubt other aspects of this book...
During a famine, why would there be stale bread lying around, let alone more of it than during good times?
I don’t think there’s more of it than in good times—there’s less. But you don’t need to get all the way to zero bread for a famine.