Peter Frankopan

The greed and hypocrisy of the opium trade continue to shock

Amitav Ghosh admits he found writing his history difficult because of the obscene profiteering and suffering he had to cover

The stacking rooms at a Patna opium factory, with thousands of Opium balls destined for the China market. Lithograph by W.S. Sherwell, c.1850. [Alamy]
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  • Smoke and Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories

    Amitav Ghosh

    John Murray, pp. 416, £20

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