Dope Girls

The Birth Of The British Drug Underground

Dr Marek Kohn

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Paperback

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English

Granta Books
26 September 2024

British & Irish history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Social & cultural history; Popular culture; Drug & substance abuse: social aspects

27th November 1918, London. Just 16 days after the end of the Great War, with the nation on its knees, Billie Carleton takes to the stage for the last time. She is found dead the next day in her bedroom. The cause of death: a cocaine overdose. The drugs were traced back to the Chinese community in Limehouse. And for nearly half a century, Billie Carleton's case was to linger in popular imagination: a cautionary tale of the relationship between young girls, dope and predatory men.

This is the story of how drug use was transformed into a national menace. It's the story of how morphine and cocaine, once commonly available in any chemist's shop, became the subject of vicious narratives targeting racial minorities and the working classes. And it's a reflection on how drugs provide a way of speaking simultaneously about women, race, class, sex and the nation's place in the world - both in at the turn of the 20th Century and in Britain today.

By: Dr Marek Kohn
Imprint: Granta Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm,
ISBN: 9781803511634
ISBN 10: 180351163X
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 26 September 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Marek Kohn is the author of 9 books, including The Stories Old Towns Tell and A Reason for Everything.

Reviews for Dope Girls: The Birth Of The British Drug Underground

A fascinating look at cocaine and opium use in Britain after the first world war -- Sarah Waters Excellent * Guardian * The best, most perceptive and most authoritative account of the British drug scene ever. This book is essential reading for doctors, legislators and law enforcers - indeed anyone who seeks to understand the impact that the illegal status of drugs has had on our society and culture -- Will Self