For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History [B1478]

2009 HCDJ in nice clean condition. A dramatic historical narrative of the man who stole the secret of tea from China. In 1848, the British East India Company, having lost its monopoly on the tea trade, engaged Robert Fortune, a Scottish gardener, botanist, and plant hunter, to make a clandestine trip into the interior of China-territory forbidden to foreigners-to steal the closely guarded secrets of tea horticulture and manufacturing. For All the Tea in China is the remarkable account of Fortune's journeys into China-a thrilling narrative that combines history, geography, botany, natural science, and old-fashioned adventure.

Disguised in Mandarin robes, Fortune ventured deep into the country, confronting pirates, hostile climate, and his own untrustworthy men as he made his way to the epicenter of tea production, the remote Wu Yi Shan hills. One of the most daring acts of corporate espionage in history, Fortune's pursuit of China's ancient secret makes for a classic nineteenth-century adventure tale, one in which the fate of empires hinges on the feats of one extraordinary man.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "A fascinating and thoroughly immersive tale of how one man explored China to steal seeds on behalf of the East India Company to enable cheaper tea to be grown in India. Great history and adventurous travel brought to life most excellently with great descriptive writing. An engaging and enjoyable read."; "One of my all time favorite books, I recommend it with the frequency of someone getting a 30% commission on the sales. So so interesting and entertaining!"; "This book reads like a strange alchemy of history, espionage novel, and cultural meditation, a book that begins with a cup of tea and unfolds into the drama of empire, greed, and globalization. A brilliantly narrated account that transforms tea from a comfort drink into a historical drama. It belongs on the shelf alongside commodity histories of sugar, salt, and coffee, but it stands out for its narrative drive and moral complexity. It is a reminder that empire is never abstract, that it infiltrates even our most intimate rituals, and that the history of something as small as a tea leaf can illuminate the fate of nations."