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Opium: A History
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Opium: A History Paperback - 1999

by Martin Booth

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This full-length history of opium uncovers the multi-faceted nature of this remarkable narcotic and the bittersweet effects of a simple poppy with a deadly legacy.

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From the publisher

Known to mankind since prehistoric times, opium is arguably the oldest and most widely used narcotic. Opium: A History traces the drug's astounding impact on world culture-from its religious use by prehistoric peoples to its influence on the imaginations of the Romantic writers; from the earliest medical science to the Sino-British opium wars. And, in the present day, as the addict population rises and penetrates every walk of life, Opium shows how the international multibillion-dollar heroin industry operates with terrifying efficiency and forms an integral part of the world's money markets.

In this first full-length history of opium, acclaimed author Martin Booth uncovers the multifaceted nature of this remarkable narcotic and the bittersweet effects of a simple poppy with a deadly legacy.

First line

The opium poppy is botanically classified as Papaver somniferum.

Details

  • Title Opium: A History
  • Author Martin Booth
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition 1st
  • Pages 400
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher St. Martin's Griffin, New York
  • Publication date 1999-06-12
  • ISBN 9780312206673 / 0312206674
  • Weight 1.1 lbs (0.50 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 in (21.34 x 13.72 x 2.79 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: Medieval (500-1453) Studies
    • Cultural Region: British
    • Cultural Region: Scottish
  • Category Sociology
  • Library of Congress subjects Opium habit - History, Opium trade - History
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 98014851
  • Dewey Decimal Code 615

Media reviews

Citations

  • Ingram Advance, 06/01/1999, Page 121
  • New York Times, 08/08/1999, Page 24
  • Publishers Weekly, 08/30/1999, Page 46

About the author

Martin Booth (1944-2004) was the bestselling author of novels including Hiroshima Joe, Islands of Silence, and The Industry of Souls, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Another novel, A Very Private Gentlemen, was adapted into the 2010 movie, The American, starring George Clooney. He also wrote several nonfiction books, including Cannabis: A History and the memoir Golden Boy: Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood. Booth was born in England, but spent much of his childhood in Hong Kong, a location that would deeply inspire his writing. He moved back to England at the age of 20, and started his literary career as a poet. He worked as a schoolmaster, a job he held until 1985, when the success of Hiroshima Joe allowed him to devote himself full-time to his writing. At the time of his death in 2004, he was living in Devon, England.

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Opium: A History
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Opium: A History

by Martin Booth

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780312206673 / 0312206674
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Opium: A History
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Opium: A History
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