Originally published in London by Simon & Schuster, 2001.

First published in London by Simon & Schuster, 2001.

Sub-title on cover: A cultural history of how anb exotic plant seduced civilization.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 385-387) and index.

Traces tobacco's evolution from a necessity to a coveted commodity that would forever change the economy by documenting the history of this plant, from its use as a sacred calumet of the Plains Indians to the controversy surrounding it today.

Tobacco was first cultivated and enjoyed by the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas, who used it for medicinal, religious, and social purposes long before the arrival of Columbus. 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 our victory in the American Revolution. Informed and erudite, Tobacco is a vivid and provocative look into the complex history of a plant that changed the world forever. -- Publisher description

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