A Brief History of Tea The Extraordinary Story of the World's Favourite Drink
by Roy Moxham
A Brief History of Tea The Extraordinary Story of the World's Favourite Drink
by Roy Moxham
Paperback
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Behind the wholesome image of the worlds most popular drink lies a strangely murky and often violent past. When tea began to be imported into the West from China in the seventeenth century, its high price and heavy taxes made it an immediate target for smuggling and dispute at every level, culminating in international incidents like the notorious Boston Tea Party. In China itself the British financed their tea dealings by the ruthless imposition of the opium trade. Intrepid British tea planters soon began flocking to India, Ceylon and Africa, setting up huge plantations; often workers were bought and sold like slaves. Roy Moxhams account of this extraordinary history begins with his own sojourn in Africa, managing 500 acres of tea and a thousand-strong workforce. His experiences inform the book and led him to investigate the early history of tea and the results of his researches reflect little credit on the British Empire, while often revealing a fascinating world story.
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Paperback, 1st Edition
ISBN13: 9781845297473
Little, Brown Book Group Limited, 2009