The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of NarcoticsSpanning 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. |
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THE PURSUIT OF OBLIVION: A Global History of Narcotics
User Review - KirkusA British historian trains an eye on the vast history of human experience with illicit drugs.Beginning roughly in the 18th century, the author relates how opium, cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and many ... Read full review
The pursuit of oblivion: a global history of narcotics
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictProminent British historian/journalist Davenport-Hines here offers a thorough and exhaustive history of addictive drugs and their abuse, spanning the globe and covering all eras for which there exists ... Read full review
Contents
Early History | 21 |
Opium during the Enlightenment | 43 |
The Patent Age of New Inventions | 61 |
Nerves Needles and Victorian Doctors | 99 |
Chemistry | 131 |
Degeneration | 152 |
The Dawn of Prohibition | 195 |
Lawbreaking | 226 |
The First Drugs Czar | 344 |
British Drug Scenes | 368 |
Presidential Drugs Wars | 420 |
So Passe | 475 |
Acknowledgements | 497 |
Notes | 499 |
Bibliographic Note | 549 |
553 | |
Other editions - View all
The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics, 1500-2000 Richard Peter Treadwell Davenport-Hines No preview available - 2001 |
The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics Richard Peter Treadwell Davenport-Hines No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
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