James Carter
Intoxicating Manchuria is engaging, well written, and artfully argued. Norman Smith's analysis of the role that alcohol played in Manchurian society is both intellectually stimulating and part of a fascinating narrative. It is social history at its best: explaining the ways that people lived their lives in the context of changing political regimes. I know no other book that does this for the region under study, or indeed for any region.
From the Publisher
"Intoxicating Manchuria is engaging, well written, and artfully argued. Norman Smith's analysis of the role that alcohol played in Manchurian society is both intellectually stimulating and part of a fascinating narrative. It is social history at its best: explaining the ways that people lived their lives in the context of changing political regimes. I know no other book that does this for the region under study, or indeed for any region."—James Carter, Chief Editor, Twentieth-Century China
"This is an extremely important book. Norman Smith makes major contributions both to the larger literature on global narcotics use, as well as to the study of the Manchukuo period of Asian history. He also brings to light valuable insights into the nagging question about Japan's anti-opium policy: Why did Japanese officials in Manchukuo seem to promote opium, while simultaneously trying to curb its use?"—Kathryn Meyer, author of Webs of Smoke: Warlords, Gangsters, Spies and the History of the International Drug Trade
Kathryn Meyer
This is an extremely important book. Norman Smith makes major contributions both to the larger literature on global narcotics use, as well as to the study of the Manchukuo period of Asian history. He also brings to light valuable insights into the nagging question about Japan's anti-opium policy: Why did Japanese officials in Manchukuo seem to promote opium, while simultaneously trying to curb its use?
