Iain Gately

Investigates the history of alcohol as a controversial and ubiquitous part of western culture and Christianity, tracing its use in ancient civilizations, profiling famous drinkers, and evaluating the role of alcohol in such events as the Revolution and the Prohibition. 20,000 first printing.

A Cultural History of Alcohol

Drink

“A rich, complex history . . . Deeply engaging and witty” (Los Angeles Times). Long before Columbus arrived in the New Word, tobacco was cultivated and enjoyed by the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas, who used it for medicinal, religious, and social purposes. But when Europeans began to colonize the American continents, it became something else entirely—a cultural touchstone of pleasure and success, and a coveted commodity that would transform the world economy forever. Iain Gately’s Tobacco tells the epic story of an unusual plant and its unique relationship with the history of humanity, from its obscure ancient beginnings, through its rise to global prominence, to its current embattled state today. In a lively narrative, Gately makes the case for the tobacco trade being the driving force behind the growth of the American colonies, the foundation of Dutch trading empire, the underpinning cause of the African slave trade, and the financial basis for victory in the American Revolution. Well-researched and wide-ranging, Tobacco is a vivid and provocative look at the surprising roles this plant has played in the culture of the world. “Ambitious . . . informative and perceptive . . . Gately is an amusing writer, which is a blessing.” —The Washington Post “Documents the resourcefulness with which human beings of every class, religion, race, and continent have pursued the lethal leaf.” —The New York Times Book Review

A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced Civilization

Tobacco

Each working day 500 million people across the planet experience the miracle and misery of commuting. Whether undertaken by car, bus, train or bicycle, the practice shapes our days and creates a time and a space for a surprisingly diverse range of activities. In RUSH HOUR, Iain Gately traces the past, present and future of commuting, from the age of Dickens to the potential of the driverless car. He examines the contrasting experiences of commuters in Britain and elsewhere in the world: from the crush-loaded salarymen of the Tokyo metro to the road-rage afflicted middle managers of America. Notwithstanding its occasional traumas, commuting emerges as a positive aspect of modern life. It has dictated the growth of cities;been proving ground for new technologies;and given countless people freedom of movement and the opportunity to improve their lives.

How 500 Million Commuters Survive the Daily Journey to Work

Rush Hour

On October 12, 1492, after an arduous voyage, his crew near mutinous, his provisions exhausted, Christopher Columbus landed on a small island he believed to be part of China. He was met by representatives of the local tribe who offered him gifts of beads, fruit and dried leaves. He threw the latter in the sea. But Columbus and his crew did not remain ignorant of these leaves' powers or purpose for long. LA DIVA NICOTINA traces the history of our relationship with a plant whose only function is to stimulate, from its beginnings amongst the ancient civilisations of South America to the present day. From Mayan gods to Marlboro Man, from Casanova to President Clinton, LA DIVA NICOTINA examines the roles tobacco has played in its long association with men and women, including its functions as spiritual messenger, as sexual ambassador, as a cure for cancer, global currency and ultimately as an assassin. Ever since the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, tobacco has been central to western civilisation, and in some cases has been the cause of revolutions and the birth of nations. Tracing its development from ritual refreshment to universal habit, LA DIVA NICOTINA is a fascinating and witty dissection of this dangerously seductive plant.

The Story of how Tobacco Seduced the World

La Diva Nicotina

Nel 1492, al suo sbarco sulle coste americane, Cristoforo Colombo venne accolto con offerte di pane, frutta e foglie secche. Colombo gettò le foglie in mare, ridendo del bizzarro dono, ma ben presto lui e i suoi uomini compresero il potere di quelle foglie, rimanendone affascinati. Pianta medicinale capace di produrre allucinazioni, inducendo stati di trance, il tabacco era al centro dei riti sciamanici e magici dei popoli americani. Quando arrivò nel nostro continente, riscosse un immediato successo: i francesi sottolineavano le sue proprietà benefiche, gli inglesi lo consideravano la panacea di tutti i mali, i tedeschi lo studiavano dal punto di vista scientifico e gli svizzeri lo testavano sui cani prima di dichiarare che poteva essere assunto dagli uomini. In Italia, il commercio del tabacco era inizialmente gestito dal clero. Ma insomma, si chiede l’autore, la diva nicotina chi è? È una musa ispiratrice, seducente e maliarda, o una strega affascinante, che rende schiavi i suoi amanti? Iain Gately ci presenta, attraverso i secoli, i più famosi sostenitori e avversari del tabacco. I fumatori, racconta l’autore, sono stati messi in prigione, torturati e perfino giustiziati per aver acceso le loro sigarette. La diva nicotina traccia lo sviluppo di questi due universi, mostrando la capacità del tabacco di mettere insieme uomini e donne di ogni provenienza ed estrazione sociale, uniti nella passione per il fumo, o nella sua condanna. Passando dagli sciamani agli artisti, da Casanova a Hitler e Einstein, il libro analizza i ruoli che il tabacco ha rivestito nella nostra cultura, in relazione ai rapporti tra i popoli, alla sessualità maschile e femminile, ma anche all’impatto economico che la seduzione del tabacco ha avuto nella storia. Ripercorrere l’ascesa del tabacco vuol dire anche, infatti, ricostruire la storia sociale, economica, politica e culturale del nostro mondo.

Iain Gately

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