BIBLIO is the largest independent book marketplace in the world, with over 100 million books.

Skip to content

Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon Paperback - 2004

by Barbara Hodgson

Add to wish list

Reader reviews for Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

From the publisher

An exquisitely illustrated and fascinating short history of opium culture.

"Opium" will open people's eyes to the bizarre and shocking history of a drug that began with use in religious ceremonies, then raised high hopes as a cure for many ills in Victorian times and was regarded as an embodiment of the romantic East, leading to its horrific consequences today.

In her meticulously researched text, Barbara Hodgson delves into the nature and history of opium, focusing on its exotic incarnation as a drug to be smoked. As well as examining its factual history--in memoirs, science, and travel books--she explores portrayals of opium use in fiction and film.

The book captures the heady essence of the opium era and is packed with illustrations that trace the changing image of the drug: artifacts and apparatus of opium use; illustrations of opium dens in Hong Kong, New York, San Francisco, Toulon, and Canton; portraits of drug-taking writers; lurid covers of nineteenth-century illustrated newspapers and twentieth-century pulp-fiction drug titles; and stills from drug-related films.

Text and images in this beautifully designed book perfectly evoke the insiduous allure and devastating dangers of opium smoking.

First line

The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum-the poppy that brings sleep, the source of the "drowsy syrup" in Shakespeare's Othello-is the beautiful flower that answers Farrere's desperate question of where to find his precious opium.

Details

  • Title Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
  • Author Barbara Hodgson
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition First Paperback
  • Pages 160
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Greystone Books, Vancouver
  • Publication date October 14, 2004
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9781553650584 / 1553650581
  • Weight 0.88 lbs (0.40 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.25 x 6.25 x 0.5 in (18.42 x 15.88 x 1.27 cm)
  • Category History - General History
  • Dewey Decimal Code 362.293

About the author

Barbara Hodgson is a book designer and writer and a founding partner at Byzantium Books in Vancouver, B.C. She is the author of "No Place for a Lady" among other nonfiction books. She has also published two novels, "The Sensualist" and "The Tattooed Map".

More Copies for Sale

Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

by Barbara Hodgson

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$12.90
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Greystone Books Ltd., 2004. Paperback. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$12.90
Free Delivery to USA
Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

by Hodgson, Barbara

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$13.05
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Greystone Books Ltd. Used - Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$13.05
Free Delivery to USA
Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

by Hodgson, Barbara

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$13.05
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Greystone Books Ltd. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$13.05
Free Delivery to USA
Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

by Hodgson, Barbara

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$13.05
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Greystone Books Ltd. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$13.05
Free Delivery to USA
Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

by Hodgson, Barbara

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$13.87
A$7.21 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Greystone Books, 2004-10-14. Paperback. Good. 0.5000 7.4016 6.0984.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$13.87
A$7.21 Delivery to USA
Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

by Hodgson, Barbara

  • Used
  • Paperback
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Trade Paper
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$17.87
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Greystone Books, 2004-10-14. First Trade Paper. paperback. Used: Good. 0.00x0.00x0.00. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$17.87
Free Delivery to USA
Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

by Hodgson, Barbara

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$19.59
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Greystone Books. paperback. Good. 1.8x09x2.1. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$19.59
Free Delivery to USA
Opium: A Portrait Of The Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium: A Portrait Of The Heavenly Demon

by Hodgson, Barbara

  • Used
  • as new
  • Paperback
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
New
Edition
Canadian First
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$36.12A$28.90
Save A$7.23
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: Greystone Books, 2004. Book. As New. Trade Paperback. Signed by Author(s). Canadian First. First edition, first printing as evidenced by a complete number line from 1 to 5; signed by Barbara Hodgson on the title page with no inscription; French flaps format; minor edge wear; otherwise a solid, clean copy in collectable condition; well illustrated in both black and white and color..
Add to wish list
Item price
A$36.12A$28.90
Save A$7.23
Free Delivery to USA
Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon
Stock photo: cover may vary

Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon

by Hodgson, Barbara

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781553650584 / 1553650581
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$49.20
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$49.20
Free Delivery to USA