Whilst the 20th century was one long war for control of the world's oil supplies, opium was a key strategic raw material during the four preceding centuries. Opium consumption dates back to Ancient Egypt. Initially a useful pharmaceutical product called
laudanum, it quickly became popular in Britain. It then became the basis for trade with isolationist China as soon as the Opium Wars obtained trading rights for Western companies and the Chinese began smoking it in industrial quantities. This book offers a tastefully
illustrated history of this toxic substance, its paraphernalia and era. About the author: Donald Wigal Donald Wigal is a retired art, music and theology professor. He was an art…
What a delight THE MYSTIQUE OF OPIUM is! It introduces us to
startling new perspectives on opium, as when Nick Tosches states that "When God put His mouth at the nostrils of Adam, there was probably… Some books have substance; some have fascination; some have class. Donald Wigal's The Mystique of Opium, a slim but rich volume, has all three. The cover, stunning in itself, is a promise of things to…
