{"title":"A Dark History","description":"\u003cp\u003eUncover the hidden, often gruesome, side of the past with 'A Dark History'. From medieval torture to Victorian crime, explore the chilling events and figures that shaped our world. Dare to delve deeper?\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dark-history-of-tea-book-seren-charrington-hollins-9781526761606","title":"A Dark History of Tea","description":"A Dark History of Tea looks at our long relationship with this most revered of hot beverages. Renowned food historian Seren Charrington-Hollins digs into the history of one of the world's oldest beverages, tracing tea's significance on the tables of the high and mighty as well as providing relief for workers who had to contend with the ardours of manual labour.  This humble herbal infusion has been used in burial rituals, as a dowry payment for aristocrats; it has fuelled wars and spelled fortunes as it built empires and sipped itself into being an integral part of the cultural fabric of British life. This book delves into the less tasteful history of a drink now considered quintessentially British. It tells the story of how, carried on the backs of the cruelty of slavery and illicit opium smuggling, it flowed into the cups of British society as an enchanting beverage.  Chart the exportation of spices, silks and other goods like opium in exchange for tea, and explain how the array of good fortunes - a huge demand in Britain, a marriage with sugar, naval trade and the existence of the huge trading firms - all spurred the first impulses of modern capitalism and floated countries.  The story of tea takes the reader on a fascinating journey from myth, fable and folklore to murky stories of swindling, adulteration, greed, waging of wars, boosting of trade in hard drugs and slavery and the great, albeit dark engines that drove the globalisation of the world economy. All of this is spattered with interesting facts about tea etiquette, tradition and illicit liaisons making it an enjoyable rollercoaster of dark discoveries that will cast away any thoughts of tea as something that merely accompanies breaks, sit downs and biscuits.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49575575093521,"sku":"GOR011016044","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49734278611217,"sku":"NGR9781526761606","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50913584447761,"sku":"CIN1526761602G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53370583613713,"sku":"GOR011995147","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526761602.jpg?v=1751117508"},{"product_id":"dark-history-of-chocolate-book-emma-kay-9781526768308","title":"A Dark History of Chocolate","description":"Lifts the lid on the history of one of the world's favourite foods.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49738587177233,"sku":"NGR9781526768308","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50566805651729,"sku":"GOR012362075","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53023085363473,"sku":"GOR014701581","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53109841395985,"sku":"NIN9781526768308","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526768305.jpg?v=1751436595"},{"product_id":"weird-and-wonderful-story-of-gin-book-angela-youngman-9781399002769","title":"The Weird and Wonderful Story of Gin","description":"Gin is a global alcoholic drink that has polarized opinion like no other, and its history has been a roller coaster, alternating between being immensely popular and utterly unfashionable. The Weird and Wonderful Story of Gin explores the exciting, interesting and downright curious aspects of the drink, with crime, murder, poisons, fires, dramatic accidents, artists, legends and disasters all playing a part. These dark themes are also frequently used to promote brands and drinks. Did you know that the Filipinos are the world's biggest gin drinkers? And even that Jack the Ripper, Al Capone and the Krays all have their place in the history of gin? Not to mention Sir Winston Churchill, Noel Coward, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and James Bond!","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49739968446737,"sku":"NGR9781399002769","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50039878517009,"sku":"GOR012549946","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51527982678289,"sku":"GOR014316941","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53260100600081,"sku":"GOR014840064","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53260136841489,"sku":"CIN1399002767G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53654424486161,"sku":"NIN9781399002769","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399002767.jpg?v=1751369519"},{"product_id":"dark-history-of-gin-book-mike-rendell-9781399070515","title":"A Dark History of Gin","description":"A Dark History of Gin looks at the origins and development of a drink which seems to have a universal and timeless appeal. Historian Mike Rendell explores the origins of distilling in the ancient world and considers the how, when, where and why of the  happy marriage' between distilled spirits and berries from the juniper bush. The book traces the link between gin and the Low Countries (Holland and Belgium) and looks at how the drink was brought across to England when the Dutch-born William of Orange became king.  From the tragic era of the gin craze in eighteenth-century London, through to the emergence of  the cocktail', the book follows the story of gin across the Atlantic to America and the emergence of the mixologist. It also follows the growth of the Temperance Movement and the origins of the Prohibition, before looking at the period between the First and Second World Wars - the cocktail age. From there the book looks at the emergence in the twentieth century of craft gins across the globe, enabling the drink to enjoy a massive increase in popularity.  The book is intended as a light-hearted look-behind-the-scenes at how  Mother's Ruin' developed into rather more than just a plain old 'G \u0026amp; T'.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49742380007697,"sku":"NGR9781399070515","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50798643675409,"sku":"GOR013575172","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399070517.jpg?v=1751083044"},{"product_id":"dark-history-of-sugar-book-neil-buttery-9781526783653","title":"A Dark History of Sugar","description":"Delves into our evolutionary history to explain why sugar is so loved, yet is the root cause of so many bad things.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49743504245009,"sku":"NGR9781526783653","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52965404082449,"sku":"GOR012985627","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53407873270033,"sku":"NIN9781526783653","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53451197153553,"sku":"GOR014928010","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526783657.jpg?v=1751407587"},{"product_id":"dark-history-of-tea-book-seren-charrington-hollins-9781526766816","title":"A Dark History of Tea","description":"_A Dark History of Tea_ explores our long relationship with this most revered of hot beverages. Renowned food historian Seren Charrington-Hollins digs into the history of one of the world's oldest drinks, tracing the significance of tea on the tables of both the wealthy and the working classes.   This humble herbal infusion has been used in burial rituals and as a dowry payment for aristocrats. It has fuelled wars, spelled fortunes and built empires, gradually forming an integral part of the cultural fabric of British life. This book delves into the distasteful history of a drink that is now considered to be quintessentially British. It tells a story of cruelty, slavery and illicit opium smuggling, all practices that enabled tea to flow into the cups of British society.  The story of tea takes the reader on a fascinating journey through myth, fable and folklore; through stories of swindling, adulteration, greed and war. Learn of the importance of tea to the naval trade and how it spurred the first impulses of modern capitalism. Discover how tea played a part in the globalisation of the world economy.  Scattered throughout this fascinating history are interesting facts about tea etiquette and tradition. Discover the link between tea and seduction and read about the illicit liaisons that occurred as a result of teatime meetings. 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