The history of opium is a complex one that reveals the interconnectedness of capitalism, colonialism, and the world. Ghosh brings together the historiography brilliantly. This serves as a great introduction to the topics and will be useful to graduate students, undergraduates, and the history reading general public.

One of the things that makes Ghosh's writing so brilliant is the way he interweaves large global histories with small personal ones. This particular book does the interweaving less well than his earlier works and so it does not quite meet expectations. However, I highly encourage anyone who is interested in the history of capitalism, colonialism, China, India, Europe, and the Americans to pick it up.

A fascinating, informative and thought provoking book that mixes travelogue, history and a reflection on how opium is still a way to keep people quiet and escaping reality.
I love this author and this is an excellent book that I strongly recommend
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I thoroughly enjoyed this although (a) it is quite dense — it took me two weeks off and on and (b) it is quite enraging. UGH TO COLONIAL BRITISH POWERS WHO WERE THE ACTUAL WORST.

“Gosh we’re not making as much money as we want, we’re only extremely rich, not filthy rich. Let’s enslave one group of people and force them to grow this highly addictive crop so we can sell it to this other group of people and earn allll the money. Practically ruining two entire civilizations? NBD.”

(Much more formal review will be coming for Shelf Awareness.)

This work of non-fiction is, in a way, an extension of the Ibis trilogy. It gives a fairly elaborate history of opium and opium trade and ties it with the incidents and characters from the trilogy. Overall a good read if you are interested in the subject.

Amitav Ghosh transforms the story he began in "The Opium Trilogy" into a captivating history lesson. He masterfully weaves in historical events, placing them in the context of the Opium Trade. We traverse the world, from Malwa to Boston, as Amitav Ghosh incorporates his personal experiences while researching the trilogy. Although it may not be as satisfying a read as, for instance, "Sea of Poppies," it remains quite captivating. It comes highly recommended.

Many thanks to FSG and NetGalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to FSG & NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!

I came to this book because I loved the way Amitav Ghosh is able to interweave several different histories together. I stayed for the political commentary on the opioid pandemic. Although many Americans consider the opioid crisis to be a modern crisis, Ghosh patiently walks us through the vast history of opium - from its origins in the fields of India to the British & American colonization of the drug to the Opium Wars in China to the modern crisis today. Along the way, we also see the influences of Chinese culture on both American and Indian lives today and vice versa. I greatly wished the copy came with the images Ghosh outlines, but I was able to visualize the cultural exchange in my mind. This is a very well researched and fascinating book, especially for readers who enjoy tracing objects to their origins!

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley for a digital copy of Smoke and Ashes in exchange for a review. This was a tough one to get through. It could be because of my personal preferences when reading non-fiction but this one was a letdown. I was initially really intrigued by the premise; however, the execution fell flat for me. I typically enjoy more narrative non-fiction that allows me to learn new things with still a story telling feel. This felt more like a long version of a college paper. Especially when Ghosh implemented quotes from other articles, research, etc. That formulaic structure of statement, present quote, explain quote, repeat. Also, I never really felt Ghosh’s connection to the story. I did not get a feel for his reasoning WHY for writing the novel. Why was this topic so important to him? If he can’t portray to the readers why he cares, then why should we?

Amitav Ghosh’s “Smoke and Ashes” is the kind of eye-opening nonfiction read that makes one feel like their perception of the world has been permanently altered by the time they reach the final pages. Although I’ve been well aware of the opium trade in China thanks to many a historical read, that I’ve read on the topic, plus a sizable amount of historical fiction work like Ghosh’s fantastic “Ibis” trilogy, only now do I feel like I have any real sense of the scope of its impact, whose influences continue to be felt to this very day all around the world, and that’s literally no exaggeration. In thorough detail, Ghosh reveals still-reverberating effects that stretch from India all the way to my own native New England, where one can’t throw a rock without hitting some institution or at least a street sign named for some powerful mercantile family whose fantastic fortunes originated in the opium trade.

Not content with systematically tying all of those threads from past to and present together through the abundant backing of quality historical and modern day sources, Ghosh goes on to reveal the impact that the poppy and the modern-day opiate market continues to have on the present. Although he gives some mention to the illegal markets, his attention is overwhelmingly focused on players in the licit market who continue the tradition of using opioids to create absurd profits while denying their own involvement in wrecking obvious and well-documented havoc upon the public good. To say the least, the similarities he sees between the British East India Company and the Sackler family is not at all insignificant, not to mention ample fodder for contemplation.

The only aspect of this book that concerns me a little is the manner in which Ghosh refers to specific characters in his own aforementioned “Ibis” series. However, the trilogy is not a prerequisite by any major means, and the author always makes sure to provide context. This is a mere quibble at most, however. And honestly on second thought, my largest problem with the book was the disappointment I felt when I finished it after several days being fully absorbed and happily devouring all the new information and perspective that it had to impart. To say the least, this is a very hearty recommendation from me. It’s the kind of book that feels like an amazing college course that’s packed within a few hundred pages delivered in a writing style that manages a terrific balance between educational, accessible, and quite sharp with its commentary. For those fans of excellent non-fiction reads Ghosh’s latest is definitely not a book that they’ll want to miss.