The Coffee Trader is a suspenseful historical novel about a commodities trader in 1659 Amsterdam who hatches a bold scheme to corner the fledgling coffee market. Miguel Lienzo, a Portuguese Jew who fled to Amsterdam to escape the Inquisition, is a trader on the Exchange. When he sees an opportunity to build his fortune by controlling the coffee market, he can’t resist, despite the many risks.
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In his classic song “Coffee Blues,” Mississippi John Hurt sings about how he misses his coffee—specifically, his Maxwell House coffee. But even more than his coffee, he misses his girl, who made his coffee but has moved away. Just a “lovin’ spoonful” from her would take care of his blues.
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This great short comedy, a cautionary tale about a coffee-swilling “java junkie,” premiered on “Saturday Night Live” in 1979 and became a cult classic. The film stars Peter Aykroyd as Joe, a regular guy who’s down on his luck and tries to drown his sorrows in coffee. But no amount of coffee is enough.
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The 5-cent 1937 Navy stamp, part of the ten-stamp 1936–1937 Army-Navy commemorative series, honors the United States Military Academy at Annapolis. The stamp can provide a focal point for learning about America’s second oldest service academy.
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The 4-cent 1937 Navy stamp, part of the ten-stamp 1936–1937 Army-Navy series of commemorative postage stamps, honors Admirals William T. Sampson, George Dewey, and Winfield Scott Schley, heroes of the Spanish-American War. Get an introduction to these important military leaders through this stamp.
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The 3-cent 1937 Navy stamp, part of the ten-stamp 1936–1937 Army-Navy series of commemorative postage stamps, honors Civil War Admirals David Farragut and David Dixon Porter. This stamp can serve as a quick introduction to these distinguished American military leaders.
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During World War II, the U.S. government found it necessary to restrict civilian coffee consumption to about half its normal level. Despite record coffee production in Brazil and elsewhere, the war disrupted coffee shipping. The government imposed rationing to make coffee available to all citizens on an equal basis, while giving priority to the needs of the military. Americans did their patriotic duty but were relieved when rationing ended in mid-1943.
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The 2-cent 1937 Navy stamp, part of the ten-stamp Army-Navy commemorative series, honors Stephen Decatur and Thomas Macdonough, naval heroes in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. It also features a naval warship of the era. This stamp can be a gateway to learn about early 19th-century naval history.
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Original Sin is a 2001 thriller (usually described as an “erotic” thriller) starring Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie in a tale of love, deception, murder — and coffee. For coffee aficionados, it’s a plus that in this version of the story Luis owns a coffee plantation and a coffee export business. And it’s an especially nice touch that several plot turns, including the climax, are marked by Luis drinking cups of coffee, shot in close-up. Can a cup of coffee change your day? How about your life?
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Lawrence Sanders’s Edward X. Delaney series comprises five great detective thrillers set in New York City from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s. Books 2 through 5 are the “Deadly Sins” novels. Suspenseful, well-written, and insightful, all five books are a pleasure to read.
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