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Cocaine

An Unauthorized Biography

Picador, July 2003
ISBN: 978-0-312-42226-4, ISBN10: 0-312-42226-1,
5 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches, 536 pages, Includes eight pages of black-and-white photographs,
Trade Paperback, $18.00

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Categories and Subcategories

See All Categories History World: General Medicine Medicine - All Titles Psychology Psychology - All Titles Sociology Sociology - All Titles

The story of cocaine isn't just about crime. It's about psychoanalysis, about empire building, about exploitation, about emancipation, about money, and, ultimately, about power. To tell the story of the twentieth century without reference to this drug and its contribution is to miss a vital and fascinating strand of social history. Streatfeild examines the story of cocaine from its medical uses to the worldwide chaos it causes today. His research takes him from the arcane reaches of the British Library to the isolation cells of America's most secure prisons, from crack houses of New York to the jungles of Bolivia and Columbia.

Praise

"A sweeping and highly readable investigation."—The Boston Phoenix

"[Streatfeild] is an excellent storyteller . . . This book is a great read."—The Seattle Times

"[Streatfeild's] smartly woven narrative winningly expands the narcotic's résumé beyond overdose horror stories."—GQ

"A thrilling ride through exotic territory . . . Streatfeild's animated writing style . . . makes for an exciting read."—Time Out New York

"A breezy history . . . often arresting, sometimes sobering."—The Washington Post

"That [Streatfeild] succeeds in delivering this large order is amazing enough, but that he does so with such style and good humor is miraculous."—BookPage

"A sane and sober review of a vast body of accumulated knowledge dislodged from forgotten archives, obscure texts, government records, definitive histories, and human sources with impeccable credentials."—The Baltimore Sun

"Well-presented . . . Brisk and well researched, Cocaine is informed by obscure archives and lost books as well as dynamic first-hand reporting."—The San Diego Union-Tribune

"A fascinating and richly detailed story . . . Streatfeild delivers a straight tale about a world where nothing is as it seems."—Publishers Weekly

About the Author(s)

Dominic Streatfeild

Dominic Streatfeild is a documentary film producer and writer. He lives in London.