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The Dedalus Book of Absinthe

Author: Phil Baker
Cover design: David Bird
Cover illustration: David Bird

Absinthe is currently enjoying an extraordinary revival, after being banned and driven underground throughout Europe and America for most of the twentieth century Far stronger than other spirits, absinthe is said to induce further drug-like sensations of mood lift and inspiration due to the presence of wormwood, its notorious special ingredient. And before long - so the story goes - it leads to insanity, homicidal mania and death. No drink has ever had such a bad reputation.

Beginning with the 1905 Absinthe Murders, this book offers a cultural history of absinthe, from its modest origins as a herbal tonic through its luxuriantly morbid heyday in the late nineteenth century. Along with a number of fascinating but little known characters, who often died young, the absinthe scrapbook contains Verlaine, Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Dowson, Aleister Crowley, Arthur Machen, Strindberg, Alfred Jarry, Van Gogh, Toulouse- Lautrec, Alphonse Allais, Ernest Hemingway and Picasso.

After discussing the rituals and modus operandi of absinthe drinking, this book reveals the recently discovered pharmacology of how real absinthe actually works on the nervous system. Last but not least, an appendix tests the various real and fake absinthe products that are now available. From 1890s decadence to the American Gothic subculture, this is the most up-to-date and wide-ranging study of a substance that is as mythical as opium.

Reviews

• Sam Leith, The Daily Telegraph
• Nicholas Lezard, Guardian Pick of the Week
• Brian Case, Time Out
• CLASS:THE MAGAZINE OF BAR CULTURE
• Andrew Jefford in The Evening Standard
• Chris Hirst in The Independent
• Philip Hensher in The Spectator
• Counter Productions
• Gary Lachman in The Fortean Times
• Roy Herbert in The New Scientist
• The Sunday Times
• The Bookseller
• The Week
• Richard Davenport-Hines in The Times Literary Supplement
• Colin Spencer in Gay Times
• Alexander Barley in The Literary Review
• Mike Jay in Black Ice
• Murrough O'Brien in the Independent on Sunday
• Joshua Cohen in Prague Pill
• Ladsmag
• Michael Little in Washington City
• Lindsay Bagshaw in The Chap Magazine
• Chris Hirst in The Independent's Magazine
• The Herald
• SMcK in The Daily Telegraph
• Colin Waters in The Sunday Herald
• JP in The Crack
• Helen Zaltman in The Observer
• Rich Jevons in The Leeds Guide
• Mark Thwaite in The Book Depository
• Machenalia Magazine
• Jan Birks in The Erotic Review

RRP: £6.99
No. of pages: 296
Publication date: 5 January, 2006
Re-print date: unspecified
Catalogue/ISBN no: ISBN 1 903517 40 0

Rights: Dedalus World Rights
Rights sold: Russia (New Literary Review),Czech Republic (Volvox Globator),
USA(Grove/Atlantic), Argentina(Puerto de Palo)and Italy(Voland).

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk

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