Black Gold: The Dark History of Coffee

(Paperback)

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Your morning flat-white helped shape the modern world

Elegantly written, witty and so wide in scope, so rich in detail and so thought provoking Joanna Blythman
It may seem like just a drink, but coffee's dark journey from the highlands of Ethiopia to the highstreets of every town in the country links alchemy and anthropology, poetry and politics, science and slavery. Plots have been hatched, blood spilled and governments toppled to keep your mug filled with fresh espresso.

In this thought-provoking expos, Antony Wild, coffee trader and historian, explores coffee's dismal colonial past, its perilous corporate present, and the environmental destruction which could limit its future, revealing the shocking exploitation at the heart of the industry.

Reviews

'an aromatic blend of colonial history and globalisation criticism' Ecologist

'an impressive mix of historical overview and contemporary analysis' Time Out

'Perfect ammo for destroying your Starbucks-guzzling workmates' Arena

an elegantly written, witty book, so wide in scope, so rich in detail, so thought-provoking in the subtle way that it develops its central thesis, that it is a challenge to do justice to it Joanna Blythman

This adrenalised swipe through the story of the mightiest of elixirs is written by a genius with all the economic facts and figures at his fingertips Good Book Guide

full of fascinating anecdotal detail about our favourite stimulant Geographical

Author Bio

Antony Wild has tea and coffee running in his blood; his great-uncle started the famous Bettys Tearooms in his native Yorkshire, and he has gone on to help revitalise the best-known name in the history of tea, the East India Company. Regarded as one of this countrys leading experts, he has written and broadcasted widely on tea and coffee, and has visited many of the countries where they are produced. He is a regular contributor to Taste magazine.