Jan 7th, 2009 · In Sea of Poppies, a British trading ship carrying an eclectic group of passengers sets sail on the eve of the First Opium War. The novel, the sixth from Amitav Ghosh, was shortlisted for the 2008 Booker Prize.
Nov 12th, 2008 · Amitav Ghosh's sprawling historical novel is set on a former slave ship in 1838, and features a wildly diverse cast of characters and fluid, "beautifully made" sentences. Reviewer Alan Cheuse says Sea of Poppies is worth a passage.
Nov 9th, 2008 · Amitav Ghosh's epic novel tells the stories of a disparate group of seafarers aboard a former slave ship that has been retrofitted for the opium trade and its human cargo.
Jun 4th, 2008 · In recent years, poppy production has skyrocketed in Afghanistan. A group of businessmen has been trying to offer an alternative, by urging farmers to grow flowers for perfume instead of for drugs. It has been a frustrating and costly project.
Aug 31st, 2007 · The cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan is at an all-time high. The United Nations says the country is expected to produce nearly 9,000 tons of opium this year -- nearly all of the world's supply. But some anti-drug teams have been successful in reducing the amount planted.
Aug 27th, 2007 · A U.N. report says 95 percent of the world's opium comes from Afghan fields and much more is on the way. Poppy production there is expected to top all records this year.
Apr 11th, 2007 · Afghanistan is still trying to eradicate opium poppies from a southern region that remains a Taliban stronghold. But a campaign by U.S. and Afghan forces has yet to make much of a dent in a major capital of opium production.
Jun 8th, 2005 · The cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan is soaring. The Afghan and U.S. governments are working to counter the drug trade.