"Thomas Dormandy has tackled the total history of opium and its products: their production, use and misuse, throughout human history. His narrativeis gracefully presented, and his wit, wisdom and irony shine through in equal measure."
-- William Bynum, author of The History of Meidcine: A Very Short Introduction

"Thomas Dormandy's shrewd eye picks out rich textures and details from a well-trodden field."
-- Marek Kohn, author of Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Underground