The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics - Softcover

Factually detailed and rich in anecdote.

Accomplished with authority and flair.

Highly absorbing...an extremely impressive work.--Christine Keneally

A good read: lively, anecdotal, and written with the reader in mind.--D.M. Fahey

A well-drawn, comprehensive account of a troubling subject.

His book is a technical triumph: well researched, well-written, well presented. . . . Moreover, it is convincing.--Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

An impressively researched and exhaustive volume...[that] should be considered definitive.

Pragmatic and persuasive, full of fascinating lore and intelligent interpretation... overwhelming evidence and penetrating analysis.

A stern and sustained history...first-rate scholarship...a powerful indictment of mostly failed policy.

The most important study on this subject in years, perhaps ever.--Phillip Knightley

A startling account of the history of drug abuse, this book forces us to reconsider many of our views on a controversial issue. Spanning five centuries and several continents in a sweeping portrait of addiction, The Pursuit of Oblivion traces the history of the use and abuse of narcotics, revealing their subtle transformation from untested medicines to sources of idle pleasure and, relatively recently, to illegal substances. Richard Davenport-Hines, an eminent, prize-winning historian, uncovers the centrality of drug abuse in our modern industrial society, from the drug habits of Charles Dickens and John F. Kennedy to today's $400 billion annual worldwide trade in illicit drugs (the same volume as the oil industry). A vivid portrayal of the people and events that have shaped the history of narcotics, The Pursuit of Oblivion reveals that, contrary to the assumption underlying current drug policies, our need to escape reality and our body's need for physical pleasure are both ineradicable aspects of our humanity, unchangeable by government initiative. 16 pages of b/w illustrations