Spanning five centuries and several continents in a sweeping portrait of addiction, The Pursuit of Oblivion traces the history of the use and abuse of narcotics, revealing their subtle transformation from untested medicines to sources of idle pleasure and, relatively recently, to illegal substances. Richard Davenport-Hines, an eminent, prize-winning historian, uncovers the centrality of drug abuse in our modern industrial society, from the drug habits of Charles Dickens and John F. Kennedy to today's $400 billion annual worldwide trade in illicit drugs (the same volume as the oil industry). A vivid portrayal of the people and events that have shaped the history of narcotics, The Pursuit of Oblivion reveals that, contrary to the assumption underlying current drug policies, our need to escape reality and our body's need for physical pleasure are both ineradicable aspects of our humanity, unchangeable by government initiative.

About the Author
Richard Davenport-Hines is the recipient of the Wolfson Prize for History and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He writes for the New York Times, TLS, Sunday Times, and The Independent. He lives in London.

Reviews
"Pragmatic and persuasive, full of fascinating lore and intelligent interpretation... overwhelming evidence and penetrating analysis." -- Boston Globe
"Factually detailed and rich in anecdote." -- Boston Phoenix
"A good read: lively, anecdotal, and written with the reader in mind." -- D.M. Fahey - Choice
"A well-drawn, comprehensive account of a troubling subject." -- Kirkus Reviews
"The best general account of the subject...thoroughly researched and expertly written." -- Roy Porter - Literary Review
"Starred Review. A sharply opinionated history of drugs...encyclopedic in scope and varied in perspective...difficult to dismiss." -- Publishers Weekly
"An impressively researched and exhaustive volume...[that] should be considered definitive." -- San Diego Union Tribune
"The most important study on this subject in years, perhaps ever." -- Phillip Knightley - Sunday Times [London]
"His book is a technical triumph: well researched, well-written, well presented. . . . Moreover, it is convincing." -- Felipe Fernandez-Armesto - The Independent
"Highly absorbing...an extremely impressive work." -- Christine Keneally - The New York Times
"America has exported bad drug policy since the Civil War, the book shows." -- The Week
"Accomplished with authority and flair." -- Virginia Quarterly Review
"A stern and sustained history...first-rate scholarship...a powerful indictment of mostly failed policy." -- Washington Post
"An amazing, knock-your-socks-off book, argued with depth and cunning....A stunning and vital book." -- James R. Kincaid, Aerol Arnold Professor of English, University of Southern California
"[A] highly literate and readable account...an author who is thoroughly conversant with the international and intercontinental aspects of drug policy." -- Philip Jenkins, author of Synthetic Panics



Book Information
ISBN 9780393325454
Author Richard Davenport-Hines
Format Paperback
Page Count 586
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 738g
Dimensions(mm) 208mm * 142mm * 30mm