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Milk of paradise : a history of opium / Lucy Inglis.

by Inglis, Lucy.

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Pegasus Books, 2019.

Opium trade -- History.

Opium abuse -- History.

9781643130552 (hc.)

Alternate title:

History of opium

1st Pegasus Books cloth ed.

xxiv, 440 p. : col. ill.; 24 cm.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 385-422) and index.

"Poppy tears, opium, heroin, fentanyl: humankind has been in thrall to the zMilk of Paradisey for millennia. The latex of Papaver somniferum is a bringer of sleep, of pleasurable lethargy, of relief from painand hugely addictive. A commodity without rival, it is renewable, easy to extract, transport, and refine, and subject to an insatiable global demand. No other substance in the world is as simple to produce or as profitable. It is the basis of a gargantuan industry built upon a shady underworld, but ultimately it is an agricultural product that lives many lives before it reaches the branded blister packet, the intravenous drip, or the scorched and filthy spoon. Many of us will end our lives dependent on it. Cultural historian Lucy Inglis takes readers on an epic journey from ancient Mesopotamia to modern America and Afghanistan, from Sanskrit to pop, from poppy tears to smack, from morphine to today's synthetic opiates. It is a tale of addiction, trade, crime, sex, war, literature, medicine, and, above all, money. And, as this ambitious, wide-ranging, and compelling account vividly shows, the history of opium is our history and it speaks to us of who we are."--From publisher.

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