You will struggle to find a more comprehensive and accessible introduction to the history of the opium trade than Amitav Ghosh’s Smoke And Ashes. Grounded in 20 years of research, from the inception of his much-loved Ibis trilogy and beyond, the book provides a social, cultural, and political context for how opium became a global commodity.
Ghosh seeks to challenge historic mythmaking, offering a stark insight into coercive colonial practices, propaganda and historic greed. The book also offers insights about his own childhood, family history and his experience as a writer exploring the impact of colonialism. This takes a moment to get used to as a reader: the historical non-fiction is so clear and concise that it takes the reader a moment to slow down and reframe their reading.
These moments of memoir are essential, however: through these moments, Ghosh grounds what could be seen as a historical issue in modern life and demonstrates how countries that Britain colonised and orientalised hundreds of years ago are still living with the scars in their communities, cultures, and economies. Sharply written history with moments of deeply reflective prose, Smoke And Ashes is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand more about Britain’s wider colonial impact.
Smoke And Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories, Amitav Ghosh (John Murray Press)
Price: £22/£24.99 audiobook. Info: here
words HARI BERROW