{"product_id":"smoke-and-ashes-opiums-hidden-histories-hardcover","title":"Smoke and Ashes: Opium's Hidden Histories - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAmitav Ghosh\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNamed a Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by \u003ci\u003eForeign Policy\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLiterary Hub\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eGhosh unravels the impact of the opium trade on global history and in his own family―the climax of a yearslong project.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Amitav Ghosh began the research for his monumental cycle of novels the Ibis Trilogy, he was startled to learn how the lives of the nineteenth-century sailors and soldiers he wrote about were dictated not only by the currents of the Indian Ocean but also by the precious commodity carried in enormous quantities on those currents: opium. Most surprising of all, however, was the discovery that his own identity and family history were swept up in the story. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eSmoke and Ashes \u003c\/i\u003eis at once a travelogue, a memoir, and an essay in history, drawing on decades of archival research. In it, Ghosh traces the transformative effect the opium trade had on Britain, India, and China, as well as the world at large. The trade was engineered by the British Empire, which exported Indian opium to sell to China to redress their great trade imbalance, and its revenues were essential to the empire's financial survival. Following the profits further, Ghosh finds opium central to the origins of some of the world's biggest corporations, of America's most powerful families and prestigious institutions (from the Astors and Coolidges to the Ivy League), and of contemporary globalism itself. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMoving deftly between horticultural history, the mythologies of capitalism, and the social and cultural repercussions of colonialism, in \u003ci\u003eSmoke and Ashes\u003c\/i\u003e Ghosh reveals the role that one small plant has had in making our world, now teetering on the edge of catastrophe.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmitav Ghosh\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the bestselling Ibis Trilogy, composed of\u003ci\u003e Sea of Poppies\u003c\/i\u003e (shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize), \u003ci\u003eRiver of Smoke\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eFlood of Fire\u003c\/i\u003e. His other novels include \u003ci\u003eThe Circle of Reason\u003c\/i\u003e, which won the Prix M馘icis 騁ranger, and \u003ci\u003eThe Glass Palace\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the author of many works of nonfiction, including \u003ci\u003eThe Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis\u003c\/i\u003e. He has received two lifetime achievement awards and five honorary doctorates. In 2018, Ghosh became the first English-language writer to win the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 416\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.65 x 9.29 x 6.38 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 13, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51764432765216,"sku":"9780374602925","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/09c6382326668c88fbeb25da782c56a9.webp?v=1780248100","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/smoke-and-ashes-opiums-hidden-histories-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}