Smoke and Ashes: Opium's Hidden Histories
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- Create Date：2024-02-11 13:22:06
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Amitav Ghosh
- ISBN：B0C2N181JC
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Reviews
Chandra Sundeep
，
Decades ago， when I started working， one of the sweet splurges from my first salary was Amitav Ghosh’s masterpiece， Glass Palace。 An excellent decision， I would say， as it marked the beginning of a literary love affair！ I went on to read Sea of Poppies， The Hungry Tide， and The Calcutta Chromosome and each time I read Ghosh’s works I was more and more enamoured by his writing prowess。 My current read， “Smoke and Ashes: Opium's Hidden Histories，” reminded me why I hold this author in such high r Decades ago， when I started working， one of the sweet splurges from my first salary was Amitav Ghosh’s masterpiece， Glass Palace。 An excellent decision， I would say， as it marked the beginning of a literary love affair！ I went on to read Sea of Poppies， The Hungry Tide， and The Calcutta Chromosome and each time I read Ghosh’s works I was more and more enamoured by his writing prowess。 My current read， “Smoke and Ashes: Opium's Hidden Histories，” reminded me why I hold this author in such high regard。 The audiobook， skilfully narrated by Ranjit Madgavkar， is a treat to the senses。The finely woven tapestry， “Smoke and Ashes” is the culmination of Ghosh’s intense research as part of the Ibis Trilogy。 It transports readers to a bygone era when India was under British colonial rule。 Ghosh examines the role the poppy plant played in shaping history， and how its effect was felt across India， China， Britain， and America。I was intrigued by the chapters on the history and evolution of tea， forced cultivation of Opium and the role of Bihar in the opium trade， the reasons behind the Purvanchal regions’ impoverishment， George Orwell’s childhood， tough resistance put up by Maratha warriors and its role in shaping Bombay as a cosmopolitan city， the evolution of Parsis as a formidable trading community， establishment of various banks and universities， the Canton graduates。 Oh， I could go on and on！This well-researched and in-depth piece of work is deeply candid and insightful and reveals various facets of colonialism， opium smuggling， poppy wars， capitalism， trade monopoly， and the attitude of the white men towards the “barbarians。” He quotes not just the works of many colonial historians and administrators， but even those of the latest eras。Ghosh seamlessly connects the threads of opium's historical significance to the fabric of today's free-market economies， the rise of consumerism and capitalism， America's opioid epidemic， and the intricate dynamics of the pharmaceutical industry， among other things。Readers fond of non-fiction， historical tales， and the captivating narratives of colonial eras， will enjoy immersing themselves in the enchanting world within these pages。 This is more than just a book; it's a personal odyssey through time。“Smoke and Ashes: Opium's Hidden Histories” is a captivating journey through time and history that left me enthralled。 It’s an absolute gem that I wholeheartedly recommend diving into！_________________________________________________Connect with me on Twitter | Instagram | Blog and let’s talk BOOKS！！ 。。。more
Andrea
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5 stars。*I have read Sea of Poppies and The Glass Palace and though I didn't LOVE either， I greatly appreciated the research and depth of knowledge displayed by Amitav Ghosh。This book was the ideal way for the author to really tell a story。 His depth of knowledge and detailed associations lend themselves to this type of anthropological deep-dive。Narration by Ranjit Madgavkar was wonderful。Smoke and Ashes dives into the history of Opium， how the Western powers have wielded the natural addictive p 5 stars。*I have read Sea of Poppies and The Glass Palace and though I didn't LOVE either， I greatly appreciated the research and depth of knowledge displayed by Amitav Ghosh。This book was the ideal way for the author to really tell a story。 His depth of knowledge and detailed associations lend themselves to this type of anthropological deep-dive。Narration by Ranjit Madgavkar was wonderful。Smoke and Ashes dives into the history of Opium， how the Western powers have wielded the natural addictive power of the Opium Poppy to build fortunes， cripple other races and cultures ， and ultimately control everything。 I knew the British Colonial history of Opium trading and the Opium wars but I was not at all familiar with the parallel history of the American Barons of the 1800s claiming puritanical high ground while making fortunes selling Opium to "bararian countries"。I found this story fascinating。 I will definitely be recommending it。*with thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for this honest review。 Expected publication date Feb 13， 2024。 。。。more
karla JR
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What a great book this was。 I honestly didn’t had any expectation when I got the audiobook arc。 But was such a brilliant surprise find this book。 Let’s start saying is A well-written book about colonialism and how opium was used as a weapon in the story of humanity。 How ghost lead us throughout the story of the opium， the economic cost but the human cost for me was breathtaking and so informative without getting boring。 I learned SO many new things and So much things about the treading of opium What a great book this was。 I honestly didn’t had any expectation when I got the audiobook arc。 But was such a brilliant surprise find this book。 Let’s start saying is A well-written book about colonialism and how opium was used as a weapon in the story of humanity。 How ghost lead us throughout the story of the opium， the economic cost but the human cost for me was breathtaking and so informative without getting boring。 I learned SO many new things and So much things about the treading of opium and the story of it。 This book is so well written and I do Belive everyone should give it a chance because is a important matter in our times。 Thank you very much to NetGalley， the author and the audiobook narrator because this book was a brilliant read。 。。。more
Holly
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Amitav Ghosh artfully spins together the threads of colonialism， diplomacy and trade to weave a tapestry depicting the history of opium。 From its roots as an ancient and traditional medicine to the highly addictive recreational drug we know today。 Ghosh leads us through a journey of tea leaf cultivation， spice trade， massive revenue boosts， rebellions， war， and Big Pharma。 Opium， described by Ghosh as an opportunisitic pathogen， takes on a life of it’s own as it works to bring down societies。I l Amitav Ghosh artfully spins together the threads of colonialism， diplomacy and trade to weave a tapestry depicting the history of opium。 From its roots as an ancient and traditional medicine to the highly addictive recreational drug we know today。 Ghosh leads us through a journey of tea leaf cultivation， spice trade， massive revenue boosts， rebellions， war， and Big Pharma。 Opium， described by Ghosh as an opportunisitic pathogen， takes on a life of it’s own as it works to bring down societies。I learned so much from this book about the sheer quantity of change driven by the opium trade before I’d even gotten 20% of the way through。 It made me apprehensive to think about what could possibly be in the remaining 80% but I was fascinated and desperate to learn more。So much extensive research was done by Ghosh for the historical setting of his Ibis Trilogy， a fictional saga set across the Indian Ocean as the First Opium War approaches， that he chose to use this book as a way to bring that research to light。 Ghosh has not only done research into the facts regarding the social， economic and natural impacts of the Opium trade， he has also looked into the how the individual perceived the impacts of the Opium。 He achieved this through incorporating representations of opium and its impacts being prevalent within the arts; whether that be through poetry， novels， memoirs， photographs， paintings or more。 Comparisons between tales written by white individuals， such as Rudyard Kipling， and Indian individuals， including Nobel prize winner Rabindranath Tagore， emphasise the clear difference in individual perceptions about the Opium trade。As a Brit I often read about the atrocities committed by my country， both past and present， and I went into this expecting it to almost exclusively place blame， not undeserved， on Britain for the expansion of Opium。 It was a pleasant and disturbing surprise to learn about the sheer quantity of nations who had an input into this expansion。 Yes， Britain has a lot to answer for in aiding Opium on it’s all-consuming path， but the Dutch were apparently the first to use Opium for trade in exchange for nutmeg， Germany developed Heroin as a non-addictive substitute for morphine， the Americans developed Oxycontin in a very similar way， and Afghanistan is currently the biggest producer of illicit opium while Tasmania is the largest producer of licit opium。 This is a worldwide issue。A powerful ending to a poignant read。 Ghosh ends the story of Opium with what amounts to a call to action。 Should we wish to reduce the spread and impact of Opium around the world， we cannot only place blame and consequences on it’s consumers， we also need to place blame on the producers。 Blame may not have much impact in reducing the production of opium while governments continue to benefit from profits， but as with fossil fuels， shame may be the answer。 Unless we can make the production of opium a social stigma， rather than just the consumption of opium， then companies will continue to churn out this deadly drug and play to opiums tune。My only issues with the book are minor and more in relation to the audiobook format in which I read it。 The book provides such a sheer influx of information that it’s hard to keep track of what’s happened when listening in this form。 I took many notes while listening but this still didn’t help all that much。 The chapters in my format （which was an ARC so may be different on publishing） did not have titles and as such I couldn’t place myself or refer back to earlier sections。 Locations， dates or themes for each chapter as a title might have helped with my understanding of the history told。 I think this may have also been part of the reason as to why my attention dropped a little in the third quarter。Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book。 。。。more
Yamini
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As entertaining as the book is， it is insightful to yet another level。 The level of research that has gone into the background of this book， is reflected in its filtered content。 The book has a powerpack that starts with details on the origins of so many addictive substances that progress into a powerful narration of Opium's history and its formidable yet compulsive trading practices by the Britishers towards the world。I recommend this book to people who crave information and have the capacity t As entertaining as the book is， it is insightful to yet another level。 The level of research that has gone into the background of this book， is reflected in its filtered content。 The book has a powerpack that starts with details on the origins of so many addictive substances that progress into a powerful narration of Opium's history and its formidable yet compulsive trading practices by the Britishers towards the world。I recommend this book to people who crave information and have the capacity to digest unfiltered and unsweetened truths。 Opium has created empires and destroyed cities and how it all came to be， is what the book discusses。 This was surely a mood pick by me to tickle that inner researcher in me craving novelty。 The author is famous for delivering bitter pills on this topic and he certainly meets the expectation on this topic。 I was a bit sceptical about the ending of the book， but then again I am not too sure how one could possibly wrap up this extensive piece。 Overall， a little overwhelming but an insightful experience。Thank you @netgalley @fsgbooks @amitav_ghosh1 for the Digital ARC。Genre: #nonfiction #history #multicultureinterest Rating: 3。5/5 ⭐️ 。。。more
Kate O'Shea
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An absolutely fascinating delve into the history of the opium trade in China and India。 Which， for me， proves the existence of karma。 Britain and other colonial powers used India and China as a great stream of revenue by cultivating opium poppies and creating a monster that they could not get back in the box。 This book doesn't just look back to the opium wars and the beginning of the trade， it follows it through to its logical conclusion of the opioid epidemic in the US and the damage that presc An absolutely fascinating delve into the history of the opium trade in China and India。 Which， for me， proves the existence of karma。 Britain and other colonial powers used India and China as a great stream of revenue by cultivating opium poppies and creating a monster that they could not get back in the box。 This book doesn't just look back to the opium wars and the beginning of the trade， it follows it through to its logical conclusion of the opioid epidemic in the US and the damage that prescription opioids have caused。 Nobody really comes out of this well but， as it should， the greatest ire is reserved for the British and their "do as I say and not as I do" attitude。 The disgust is reserved for those who deserve it ie。 those who have profited most from the opium trade。 Amitav Ghosh draws lots of parallels between the monetarisation of the opium trade/big pharma with the fossil fuel crisis and the oil companies。 It's chillingly true that profit comes before everything for these companies （going back to the East India Company and forward to the Sacklers）。 They don't care who gets hurt and what devastation they cause to the planet as long as the money continues to roll in。 This is a damning look at the way the world works and the word opium could easily be replaced by slavery or fossil fuels。 It is sad that we seem to be condemned to repeat rather than learn from history。 I'd highly recommend this well-researched and well written history。The narration was excellently done by Ranjit Madgavkar。 He has a beautiful voice， which reminded me of the dulcet tones of the late Irrfan Khan。 Thankyou to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio advance review copy。 。。。more
Harshith J。 V。
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A random pick at the bookstore。 Turned out to be the best pick recently。 Mind-blowing content in this book。 Kudos to author on making historical work as an exciting read。This book throws a new light on history of British colonial rule， of which we are completely unaware on their ruthless domination over opium trade。 Never been aware of the such trade that had been operating at massive scale and had been operating for a really long time（one and half centuries）。 As the author mentions we do have c A random pick at the bookstore。 Turned out to be the best pick recently。 Mind-blowing content in this book。 Kudos to author on making historical work as an exciting read。This book throws a new light on history of British colonial rule， of which we are completely unaware on their ruthless domination over opium trade。 Never been aware of the such trade that had been operating at massive scale and had been operating for a really long time（one and half centuries）。 As the author mentions we do have collective amnesia on the subject matter。The book starts with a chapter on tea。 Its fascinating to know how British tried to siphon the profits of China via tea exports， by selling the illicit psychoactive drug even when they tried to ban it couple of times。 Such information need to be part of general public discourse on trade of the bygone era。Author tries to correlate how big corporations try to fool public with climate change denials to how colonizers tried to blame the rural population of Asian countries being addicts in the first， which is farther than true。 A great correlation there。 There are also correlations to recent drug wars in USA。 As we read through the book we get more such revelations。 Scale and operating agents involved were huge than one can imagine。The book's main content is 318 pages。 Rest 82 pages contains acknowledgement and notes。 I took 4 months to complete as I'd been busy with various family commitments during this period。 But otherwise one should be able complete this book within 1 or 2 weeks。 Vocabulary is top-notch in this book and so would need a good dictionary handy online or offline。 Beginners dictionary would be insufficient to help you out with the words in this book。 So searching online much more efficient。 。。。more
Bernie Gourley
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Ghosh has written a fascinating exploration of the profound global consequences of that pretty red flower， the opium poppy。 I find the events surrounding the Opium Wars to be among the most incredible stories humanity has written。 It is mind-blowing that a substance could be so utterly addictive as to spur wars and global social and economic upheavals。 That substance is， of course， tea。 Ah， you thought I was going to say opium （or its relative， heroin，） didn't you？ But while opium is fantastical Ghosh has written a fascinating exploration of the profound global consequences of that pretty red flower， the opium poppy。 I find the events surrounding the Opium Wars to be among the most incredible stories humanity has written。 It is mind-blowing that a substance could be so utterly addictive as to spur wars and global social and economic upheavals。 That substance is， of course， tea。 Ah， you thought I was going to say opium （or its relative， heroin，） didn't you？ But while opium is fantastically addictive， its addicts were by-and-large in peaceful stupors in （or on） their clouds during the time in question。 It is the uppity Earl Grey addict who was draining Britain's treasury of precious metals， and -- as addicts do in their impoverished desperation -- turned to dealing drugs。 There have been many books written on this subject， but Ghosh carves himself a niche。 First， while accounts often focus tightly upon the central adversarial relationship of Britain versus China， Ghosh examines at leisure the roles of two lesser discussed players -- India （not only as a subject of Great Britain but also as an autonomous actor） and America。 The importance of India's involvement， from being a major producer and processor of opium to sourcing the sepoys who actually fought the Opium Wars， has been largely ignored， and Ghosh helps to clear up distortions in the historical record。 Second， the book investigates questions around America's opioid crisis and what history can tell us about its drivers。 In particular， what does the China's explosion of addiction tell us about what might have spurred America's crisis？ This is a readable and compelling nonfiction exploration of the influence of opium from a writer who has produced novels （e。g。 the "Sea of Poppies" trilogy） set around these historical events。 I'd highly recommend this book for individuals interested in the influence of Opium， particularly if one is curious about how history relates to the recent crises and what role Indians and Americans played in events。 。。。more
Skie
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Smoke and Ashes， by Amitav Ghosh （✦✦✦。5/5） I received an advance review copy for free， and I’m leaving this review voluntarily。TL;DR: A well-written book about colonialism and how opium was used as a weapon to further it， it certainly warrants a read （or a listen）， even if it has its weaker points。 Also， it is always better to learn about colonization from the point of view of the colonized， which is something you can get from this book。Written by Amitav Ghosh as a consequence of all the rese Smoke and Ashes， by Amitav Ghosh （✦✦✦。5/5） I received an advance review copy for free， and I’m leaving this review voluntarily。TL;DR: A well-written book about colonialism and how opium was used as a weapon to further it， it certainly warrants a read （or a listen）， even if it has its weaker points。 Also， it is always better to learn about colonization from the point of view of the colonized， which is something you can get from this book。Written by Amitav Ghosh as a consequence of all the research he did for his Ibis trilogy， this book explores the complicated and mostly forgotten history between India， China， and opium。 While most people know that the UK sold opium to China and somewhat forced the country to keep buying it， most details about this relationship are forgotten and ignored， and even more about how India was forced to take part in this trade。 So， in this book， Ghosh works to rectify this situation， bringing forth what he calls “opium’s hidden history”， be it the lengths of China’s and India’s exploitation under the UK’s colonial rule or how so many fortunes were made from this situation， including many US families。Ghosh’s effort to divulge this story of colonization and exploitation culminates in a very interesting book that feels much shorter than its over 400 pages length。 The information contained in it is direct and precise， giving you what feels like a much more complete view of how the UK’s colonizing efforts worked and their consequences for the colonized。 You will come out of it with precise numbers and more vast explanations of what went on， being able to more accurately understand the abuses India and China underwent under British rule。 My two main gripes with the book are that I wish it had been better organized and how the poppy plant is framed。 The subjects and periods broached come and go， having almost a stream-of-conscious feel to it。 Many ideas that are spread around would have worked much better if condensed into a single chapter， and I think a chronological approach would have made the book more natural and memorable （but maybe that’s just the History major in me）。 The way the poppy plant is presented is…weird， to say the least。 The author acts as if it has its conscience， needs， and desires， as if much of the trouble created because of opium happened because the plant wanted it to。 Ghosh frames the poppy plant as something with power over humanity， that acts upon it on its own accord。 While an interesting idea （and maybe with religious roots， although that’s something I can’t affirm）， it serves more than anything to absorb the ones responsible for the opium trade and the famines and epidemic of addiction that followed。 It weakens the message of the book and， honestly， makes it sound a bit less serious。I read the audiobook version of this book， my first time giving audio a try， and it was an interesting experience。 The narrator did a good job at it and I didn’t have much trouble following the book。 Even though I’m not sure if audiobooks are for me just yet， I’ll probably give it a few more tries。If you have any interest in history， colonialism， wars， and India’s and China’s histories， I would recommend this book， be it in audio or print。 。。。more
Jessica - How Jessica Reads
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I thoroughly enjoyed this although （a） it is quite dense — it took me two weeks off and on and （b） it is quite enraging。 UGH TO COLONIAL BRITISH POWERS WHO WERE THE ACTUAL WORST。 “Gosh we’re not making as much money as we want， we’re only extremely rich， not filthy rich。 Let’s enslave one group of people and force them to grow this highly addictive crop so we can sell it to this other group of people and earn allll the money。 Practically ruining two entire civilizations？ NBD。”（Much more formal r I thoroughly enjoyed this although （a） it is quite dense — it took me two weeks off and on and （b） it is quite enraging。 UGH TO COLONIAL BRITISH POWERS WHO WERE THE ACTUAL WORST。 “Gosh we’re not making as much money as we want， we’re only extremely rich， not filthy rich。 Let’s enslave one group of people and force them to grow this highly addictive crop so we can sell it to this other group of people and earn allll the money。 Practically ruining two entire civilizations？ NBD。”（Much more formal review will be coming for Shelf Awareness。） 。。。more
Prasenjit Basu
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I love Amitav Ghosh’s fiction （“Sea of Poppies”， “Shadowlines” and “Glass Palace” being among my all-time favourite novels）， but have generally been underwhelmed （in comparison） by his non-fiction。 This is perhaps one of his best works of non-fiction， but is still no patch on his best novels。 As a searing critique of the British Empire as a ‘narco-state’， the book is brilliant。 Ghosh demonstrates that being forced to grow opium impoverished Bihar’s peasants and made that state India’s poorest， a I love Amitav Ghosh’s fiction （“Sea of Poppies”， “Shadowlines” and “Glass Palace” being among my all-time favourite novels）， but have generally been underwhelmed （in comparison） by his non-fiction。 This is perhaps one of his best works of non-fiction， but is still no patch on his best novels。 As a searing critique of the British Empire as a ‘narco-state’， the book is brilliant。 Ghosh demonstrates that being forced to grow opium impoverished Bihar’s peasants and made that state India’s poorest， a trap from which it has never quite extricated itself。 The book argues with eloquence that the moral argument of the Qing state （which ruled China between the 17th and early 20th century） was water-tight， and that Britain （and its imperial collaborators， the Dutch and French） were entirely culpable for the epidemic of drug addiction that afflicted much of East Asia between 1840 and 1910。 Other historians （including Bayly and Harper） have demonstrated that the British empire depended on opium as its single largest source of revenue， and that Singapore and Penang （as well as Hong Kong） played major roles in facilitating the collection of that revenue。 Ghosh makes the case with even greater eloquence。 Unlike his fiction， though， his writing here is somewhat lacking in flourish， with repeated use of the phrase “in this regard” being a feature of the book’s occasionally laboured prose。 Ghosh is also occasionally gullible in the way he seems awestruck by China’s contributions to human civilisation， and to the importance of opium in making the modern world。 In the seventeenth and eighteenth century， it was the loot from India that truly made Britain wealthy， enabling the paraphernalia of industrialisation that funded the war machine deployed on the China coast in 1839; it was India’s expertise in the manufacture of textiles that Britain sought to steal， and then crush （through import bans） before building up its own industrial capacity in its stead。 The loot from India was far larger than the revenues of opium 100-150 years later。 By getting too obsessed with opium， Ghosh may be mistaking the forest for the trees。 That said， this is still a great story well told by a master story teller。 。。。more
Ankita
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This book is a goldmine of information。 The humble opium seed here becomes a protagonist of sorts and everything touched by the sinister opium trade across the world has been included in this book。 Every chapter is surprising and revealing。 I loved it so much！ The author has done a deep research to create this gem。
Ritu | Bohemian Bibliophile
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Author Amitav Ghosh compiles his research for the Ibis trilogy in a captivating narrative of the history of opium from the 19th century to its impact on the world in the now。As a tool that played a significant role in the survival of the British Empire。 Its everlasting impact on India and China。 The opium wars。 The contribution of Dutch colonials。 Fertile plains and proficient natives rendered worthless by the ruthless production practices， the effects of which can be seen centuries later too。 S Author Amitav Ghosh compiles his research for the Ibis trilogy in a captivating narrative of the history of opium from the 19th century to its impact on the world in the now。As a tool that played a significant role in the survival of the British Empire。 Its everlasting impact on India and China。 The opium wars。 The contribution of Dutch colonials。 Fertile plains and proficient natives rendered worthless by the ruthless production practices， the effects of which can be seen centuries later too。 Smoke and Ashes is indeed an eye-opener。 I read the audiobook narrated by Ranjit Madgavkar and it is indeed an engrossing one。 。。。more
Anshuman
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Amitav Ghosh transforms the story he began in "The Opium Trilogy" into a captivating history lesson。 He masterfully weaves in historical events， placing them in the context of the Opium Trade。 We traverse the world， from Malwa to Boston， as Amitav Ghosh incorporates his personal experiences while researching the trilogy。 Although it may not be as satisfying a read as， for instance， "Sea of Poppies，" it remains quite captivating。 It comes highly recommended。Many thanks to FSG and NetGalley for an Amitav Ghosh transforms the story he began in "The Opium Trilogy" into a captivating history lesson。 He masterfully weaves in historical events， placing them in the context of the Opium Trade。 We traverse the world， from Malwa to Boston， as Amitav Ghosh incorporates his personal experiences while researching the trilogy。 Although it may not be as satisfying a read as， for instance， "Sea of Poppies，" it remains quite captivating。 It comes highly recommended。Many thanks to FSG and NetGalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jazz Singh
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An excellent look at the tea and opium trade， the two commodities that financed the British Empire。 Rich in all sorts of detail， Smoke and Ashes is certainly a page turner。
Rachna
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The Ibis trilogy was the first book I read by Amitav Ghosh， and I was impressed by every aspect of the book—the storyline， the characters， the writing， and the subject matter。 He has followed up with a non-fiction book on the opium trade based on the research he collected for the books。 The writing is easy to follow even though there is a lot of information to take in。 The history is riveting but also infuriating （as with any colonial-era information）。 For anyone interested in history as it happ The Ibis trilogy was the first book I read by Amitav Ghosh， and I was impressed by every aspect of the book—the storyline， the characters， the writing， and the subject matter。 He has followed up with a non-fiction book on the opium trade based on the research he collected for the books。 The writing is easy to follow even though there is a lot of information to take in。 The history is riveting but also infuriating （as with any colonial-era information）。 For anyone interested in history as it happened， not how it was written by the ‘victors，’ this is an essential read。 。。。more
Nuha
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Thanks to FSG & NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy！I came to this book because I loved the way Amitav Ghosh is able to interweave several different histories together。 I stayed for the political commentary on the opioid pandemic。 Although many Americans consider the opioid crisis to be a modern crisis， Ghosh patiently walks us through the vast history of opium - from its origins in the fields of India to the British & American colonization of the drug to the Opium Wars in China to the mode Thanks to FSG & NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy！I came to this book because I loved the way Amitav Ghosh is able to interweave several different histories together。 I stayed for the political commentary on the opioid pandemic。 Although many Americans consider the opioid crisis to be a modern crisis， Ghosh patiently walks us through the vast history of opium - from its origins in the fields of India to the British & American colonization of the drug to the Opium Wars in China to the modern crisis today。 Along the way， we also see the influences of Chinese culture on both American and Indian lives today and vice versa。 I greatly wished the copy came with the images Ghosh outlines， but I was able to visualize the cultural exchange in my mind。 This is a very well researched and fascinating book， especially for readers who enjoy tracing objects to their origins！ 。。。more
Nuha
，
Thanks to FSG & NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy！I came to this book because I loved the way Amitav Ghosh is able to interweave several different histories together。 I stayed for the political commentary on the opioid pandemic。 Although many Americans consider the opioid crisis to be a modern crisis， Ghosh patiently walks us through the vast history of opium - from its origins in the fields of India to the British & American colonization of the drug to the Opium Wars in China to the mode Thanks to FSG & NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy！I came to this book because I loved the way Amitav Ghosh is able to interweave several different histories together。 I stayed for the political commentary on the opioid pandemic。 Although many Americans consider the opioid crisis to be a modern crisis， Ghosh patiently walks us through the vast history of opium - from its origins in the fields of India to the British & American colonization of the drug to the Opium Wars in China to the modern crisis today。 Along the way， we also see the influences of Chinese culture on both American and Indian lives today and vice versa。 I greatly wished the copy came with the images Ghosh outlines， but I was able to visualize the cultural exchange in my mind。 This is a very well researched and fascinating book， especially for readers who enjoy tracing objects to their origins！ 。。。more
Mukesh Kumar
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How do I feel about this book？ I have mixed feelings。 While I love Amitav Ghosh， the author， I must admit I haven't really read any of his fiction writing in a very long time。 His non fiction forays leave me with muddled feelings of late。 Parts of this book are very lucid and moving， especially when he is on firmer historical grounds。 However， part of this just felt odious and an argument that is stretched too thin。Which is not to deny any urgency of the argument itself！ Afterall， climate change How do I feel about this book？ I have mixed feelings。 While I love Amitav Ghosh， the author， I must admit I haven't really read any of his fiction writing in a very long time。 His non fiction forays leave me with muddled feelings of late。 Parts of this book are very lucid and moving， especially when he is on firmer historical grounds。 However， part of this just felt odious and an argument that is stretched too thin。Which is not to deny any urgency of the argument itself！ Afterall， climate change IS an existential crisis that we should be acknowledging more sternly。 And of course there is a direct connect between the colonial legacy of white nations and the imminent climate catastrophe。 But something seemed off in his efforts to draw parallels of current situation with opium's grimy history。 As the eloquent quote goes， while history may not repeat itself， it does rhyme， well it almost didn't on this occasion。 Perhaps the world has become too complicated for poets。 。。。more
Prriyankaa Singh | the。bookish。epicure
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This is the only non-fiction book I read this year， and it had to be an Amitav Ghosh who spurred me to do it。As the person who runs away the other side on hearing "non-fiction" immediately zones out of the conversation or looks the other way， I'll admit， this was a pretty breezy and entertaining read。 Having read the Ibis Trilogy last year， I jumped at the chance to read more about the opium trade。 Smoke and Ashes is a condensed analysis generated by the sheer amount of research the Ibis Trilogy This is the only non-fiction book I read this year， and it had to be an Amitav Ghosh who spurred me to do it。As the person who runs away the other side on hearing "non-fiction" immediately zones out of the conversation or looks the other way， I'll admit， this was a pretty breezy and entertaining read。 Having read the Ibis Trilogy last year， I jumped at the chance to read more about the opium trade。 Smoke and Ashes is a condensed analysis generated by the sheer amount of research the Ibis Trilogy generated。 Through this book， Ghosh traces the invisible threads that spread across the British colonies and connect a large part of the world built on tea and poppies。 Opium impact is much deeper than just its forced production， the famine， and subsequent wars。 Ghosh opened my eyes to its presence in the modern world， from institutions to businesses， art， and gardens; the influence is endless。Ghosh has drawn parallels between 19th century China battling against the British to scourge opium from their lands and the opioid crisis today。 Through thinly veiled words， he shows how history keeps repeating， and we humans that hamster on the wheel who don't know how to get off。 His anger at the colonisers and the collusion between medicine practitioners and big Pharma in today's world to promote this evil is palpable。 To end， it all he draws an analogy towards Mother Earth and Poppy as the all-time winner。 We humans attempt to master over nature and only cause so much suffering and devastation。 We cause loss to our own kind while mother nature comes back stronger each time - more potent， more vicious than the last。The frequent references Ghosh has made to the Ibis trilogy helped refresh my memory too and provide a lot of backstory， filling in any gaps that might have been left out。I petitioned to Amitav Ghosh to write our history books。 At least that'll save another generation the trauma of reading drab facts and make a more interesting subject。 。。。more
Kevin McAvoy
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A complete education about the opium industry and how Britain and America forced the world to become addicted。 Today more opium poppies are grown than ever before even as governments claim they are conducting drug wars。It's a sad revelation of how big business will destroy humanity in order to continue building weath。Climate change is another example of big business denial at the peril of the entire planet。Ghosh really does go down a lot of unexpected roads as he explores the spread of opium add A complete education about the opium industry and how Britain and America forced the world to become addicted。 Today more opium poppies are grown than ever before even as governments claim they are conducting drug wars。It's a sad revelation of how big business will destroy humanity in order to continue building weath。Climate change is another example of big business denial at the peril of the entire planet。Ghosh really does go down a lot of unexpected roads as he explores the spread of opium addiction throughout the ages。I listened to the audiobook and will give it a 2nd listen in a few years， it was very interesting。If you have only read about the Opium wars like the book Imperial Twilight， this book adds so much more to understand the power of opium。 。。。more
Nousheen Khan
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Fascinating history， with so many details and nuances
Rajesh Hegde
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Enjoyed reading this book， was engaged all the way through。 The book was a eye opener for me about the hidden histories of Opium in India and China in 17th and 18th centuries and the socio- economic impact it had until now。 Author also draws interesting parallels of opium trade and the current climate denial by fossil fuel companies。 So many things to learn from this book。
Ingrid
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Amitav Ghosh’s renowned skill in turning meticulous research into a compelling narrative is once again manifest in Smoke and Ashes， his nonfiction chronicle of the history of opium and its impact on human history。 He highlights the parallels between 19th century China battling the scourge of opium that had been weaponised against it by the British empire and contemporary America fighting the spread of opiates promoted by Big Pharma and its collusion with the medical profession and government ins Amitav Ghosh’s renowned skill in turning meticulous research into a compelling narrative is once again manifest in Smoke and Ashes， his nonfiction chronicle of the history of opium and its impact on human history。 He highlights the parallels between 19th century China battling the scourge of opium that had been weaponised against it by the British empire and contemporary America fighting the spread of opiates promoted by Big Pharma and its collusion with the medical profession and government institutions。 A further symmetry Ghosh points out is that between the attempt to master nature through history as well as the resistance to that devastation by global civil society。 An illuminating text with much contemporary resonance。 。。。more
Chetan V
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As always Amithav Ghosh is resourceful。 His style of narrating is lively and smooth flowing。 Even though it's a nonfiction， you enjoy as much as that of his other fiction。 As always Amithav Ghosh is resourceful。 His style of narrating is lively and smooth flowing。 Even though it's a nonfiction， you enjoy as much as that of his other fiction。 。。。more
H R Venkatesh
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I read about 80% of the books， and only stopped reading because I was travelling to Bangalore from Delhi and the partner wanted to read it。 Also， I read most of it at a lagoon resort at a lake that eventually goes into the backwater/sea off the coast of Kerala。 One day when I was reading the book， I looked up to see a big， fat monitor lizard scuttling towards me。 It was as big as a dog。 I hastily beat a retreat。 I'm going to circle back to the book， but it was a serious， mind-blowing stuff。 I th I read about 80% of the books， and only stopped reading because I was travelling to Bangalore from Delhi and the partner wanted to read it。 Also， I read most of it at a lagoon resort at a lake that eventually goes into the backwater/sea off the coast of Kerala。 One day when I was reading the book， I looked up to see a big， fat monitor lizard scuttling towards me。 It was as big as a dog。 I hastily beat a retreat。 I'm going to circle back to the book， but it was a serious， mind-blowing stuff。 I think it's going to be help me in the book I'm going to write which will partly deal with decolonising ourselves。 。。。more
Shariq Chishti
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The colonised of this world share an unspoken bond。 Probably because of this unseen thread， my father once told me of how the British were able to subjugate an entire population by making them addicted to opium just to sustain and grow the colonial empire。 I somehow had not delved deeper into the production of opium in India and it’s consumption in China as part of this colonial enterprise so when I saw this book on the shelf I immediately picked it up。 Amitava Ghosh of course goes much deeper t The colonised of this world share an unspoken bond。 Probably because of this unseen thread， my father once told me of how the British were able to subjugate an entire population by making them addicted to opium just to sustain and grow the colonial empire。 I somehow had not delved deeper into the production of opium in India and it’s consumption in China as part of this colonial enterprise so when I saw this book on the shelf I immediately picked it up。 Amitava Ghosh of course goes much deeper than just the opium wars and it’s production in India。 The impact of opium is felt and seen in the very world we see around us and yet it remains unseen。 Amitava Ghosh unveils how the opium has helped shape the modern world from the greatest business enterprises to art， furniture， and gardens。 Through the book you can feel that author’s heart beats for the colonised and all arguments of the British government in favour of opium trade are dismantled。 The parallel with opioid crisis of the US helps in greater understanding of the issue and again helps in dismantling narrative and argument peddled by the British。 。。。more
Debjani Banerji
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Book Review: Smoke and Ashes by Amitav GhoshIn his latest book， Smoke and Ashes: A Writer's Journey through Opium's Hidden Histories， Amitav Ghosh offers a sweeping and devastating account of the opium trade and its impact on the world。 Ghosh， who is primarily a historian （And history fascinates me）， traces the opium trade from its origins in the Middle East to its global reach in the 19th century， when the British Empire used it to finance its expansion in Asia。 How it broke China and made it i Book Review: Smoke and Ashes by Amitav GhoshIn his latest book， Smoke and Ashes: A Writer's Journey through Opium's Hidden Histories， Amitav Ghosh offers a sweeping and devastating account of the opium trade and its impact on the world。 Ghosh， who is primarily a historian （And history fascinates me）， traces the opium trade from its origins in the Middle East to its global reach in the 19th century， when the British Empire used it to finance its expansion in Asia。 How it broke China and made it into a country of opium addicts， by trading tea and silk to get opium。 But now how China and other South East Asian countries are trying to be drug free， whereas India， Pakistan， Bangladesh and Afghanistan are again slowly becoming dangerous places where opium and Heroin production and smuggling has become huge。 This book shows how the opium trade was not just about the trade of a commodity， but also about the subjugation of entire populations。 That is how the Bengal Famine comes about。 When hoardes and thousands of farmers were coerced into cultivating Poppy in their fields and they were paid pittance by the British。 It's where the Economic disparity starts between the East and West。 Western India， where the opium trade was mainly through private traders came out wealthier and that wealth disparity still exists。 Amitav Ghosh also explores the ways in which the opium trade has shaped the world we live in today。 Opium trade was a key factor in the rise of capitalism and the global economy， and that its legacy can be seen in the many conflicts and inequalities that plague the world today。Also the rise of terrorism， financed by the opium money。 Smoke and Ashes is a powerful and important work that sheds light on a dark chapter in history。 Also that a large number of big industrial houses all over the world， including US， has its first seed money from the Opium business。 Including our illustrious family of the Tagore。 If you are interested in history， do read this book。 History is so very important in learning what has shaped us。 This is also a forerunner of the Ibis Trilogy。 But even if you haven't read the Trilogy， this book will suffice。 #djreads #Smokeandashes #Amitavghosh #Opiumtrade #History #HarperCollinsIndia 。。。more
Somay Munde
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I picked up this book as I loved the Ibis trilogy thoroughly。 While reading the trilogy， I realised the amount of historical research that had gone into weaving the story around the history。 The books introduced me to that wonderful world of history that is not taught in the textbooks。 I picked up this book as it promised me to introduce me to the historical research that was carried out by the author while writing Ibis trilogy。In the initial chapters， the author is at pains to explain the influ I picked up this book as I loved the Ibis trilogy thoroughly。 While reading the trilogy， I realised the amount of historical research that had gone into weaving the story around the history。 The books introduced me to that wonderful world of history that is not taught in the textbooks。 I picked up this book as it promised me to introduce me to the historical research that was carried out by the author while writing Ibis trilogy。In the initial chapters， the author is at pains to explain the influences that Indian and Chinese civilisations have had on each other throughout the history。 While one often learns about inculcation of words from indo-European languages into vernacular languages， it was surprising to come across the words adapted from Chinese languages。 For e。g， word from tea， Chai is eerily similar to Contonese word for it - chah。 The author gives many such examples。 Watched Narcos yet on Netflix？！ Cartels of Cali and Medellin pale in comparison to EIC， worlds first and most successful narcos！ The basic hypothesis of the book is as follows - popularity of Chinese imports into Britain created such a trade imbalance between China and England in the 18th century that the British had to introduce a product to China that could exported to China to reduce the unidirectional flow of bullion Britain to china。 Thus， the opium came into picture。 But China did not want opium introduced to its territory for obvious purposes （remember Udta Punjab？）。 Hence EIC backed by Britain and mercantile lobby waged a Biopolitical war to force export of opium to China， by forcing China to reduce all import restrictions on this narcotic， thereby making generations of Chinese addicted to this vile drug。 And where was this opium produced， you ask？ None other than earliest territories won by EIC around Bihar， Bengal and Orissa area！The book provides in detailed way the intricate bureaucratic system implemented by EIC to maximise the production at minimum costs to drive profits at margin。 But this was not done through so called Industrial Revolution and scientific innovation that the west so much prides itself upon。 Rather it was done via designing utterly exploitative feudal system of forced cultivation， bonded labour， where producer earned barely subsistence profits。 This contributed to so many famines post 1770s when EIC had gotten absolute control over their area after Battle of Buxar。 Infact， ills faced by the BIMARU states are attributed to this century of exploitative corporate agriculture forced by the EIC， farmer was forced to grow opium and sell it only to EIC， at a price dictated by EIC （ monopsony much？！）。 The comparison is made to the western India where much of it was still ruled by the princely states during peak opium years（ 1760s-1840s）， where opium was grown when it suited the producer and sold at market price。 It was also interesting to read how so many now-famous and richie-rich in India and world trace their earliest sources of fortune to drug trade。 Heard of Sassoons， Tatas？ HSBC？ There are so many things to write about this book。 I wish this shameful chapter of capitalistic colonialism is taught to each child in India 。。。more
avinash
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