Loaves and fishes: An illustrated history of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1889-1989

Covering the diverse range of subjects that the ministry has dealt with over the past 100 years, such as the Colorado Beetle, the National Stud, and the Thames Flood Barrier, this book also looks in detail at the ministry's greatest triumph, the mobilization of food producers during World War II. With a brief that covers everything from kippers and Kew Gardens to allotments and additives, MAFF has probably had a bigger impact on the lives of ordinary people than any other government department and the book aims to reflect this. The book is also illustrated throughout, including a map of farm labourers wages in 1898, the minutes of the first meeting of the Lincolnshire Farmers Union, (later to found the national movement), and several satirical Punch cartoons.