Jason Goodwin, inspired by his grandmothers who spent their lives in China and India observing the customs of afternoon tea, set off to explore the relics of this imperial age and its worldwide trade, delving into the extraordinary history of tea.
Brilliantly evoking a vanished world, he follows the origins of tea, its use, influence and importance, from the Canton factories through the establishment of British India and the Opium Wars, all the way to that great tea metropolis, London.
Packed with anecdotes, fascinating historical details and wonderful personal observations, The Gunpowder Gardens is informative, funny and delightful in equal measure.
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Jason Goodwin is also the author of "On Foot to the Golden Horn: A Walk to Istanbul" and "Lords of the Horizon: A History of the Ottoman Empire".
Author description
Jason Goodwin is a historian, journalist and travel writer. He is the author of ON FOOT TO THE GOLDEN HORN: A WALK TO ISTANBUL and LORDS OF THE HORIZON: A HISTORY OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. GREENBACK, his history of the American dollar, is being published by Hamish Hamilton in February 2003.
