From the nineteenth century the British reaped huge profits by exporting vast quantities of opium from India, waged wars to defend its access to markets, and created a devastating addiction crisis in China. A sweeping story of greed and power, Smoke and Ashes reveals how opium created the wealth of modern cities like Mumbai, Singapore and Shanghai, as well as many of America's most powerful families and institutions, and is a part of Ghosh's personal history. 'Ghosh triumphs in laying out the shame of the British Empire's opium trade for all to see' Financial Times 'This gave me a deeper chill than any TV series about the opioid crisis.
