With her probing inquiry and engaging prose, Sarah Rose paints a fresh and vivid account of life in rural 19th-century China and Fortune’s fateful journey into it…if ever there was a book to read in the company of a nice cuppa, this is it.

Washington Post Book Review

In “For All the Tea in China,” the most eventful era of the tea plant gets the inspired treatment it deserves. – Minneapolis Star Tribune

Pause to reflect that the tea you are enjoying is totally hot — as in, stolen! Nabbed! Ripped off! Nothing more than the subject of international corporate espionage! – Chicago Sun Times

The spy who loved tea. The Express  (p1, p2)

The most fun and exciting new book I have read this year. Beijing Today

Rose has done well. – South China Morning Post, Hong Kong

This story is nothing less than remarkable. San Francisco Book Review

Sarah Rose’s history of how tea came to be cultivated outside China reads like an adventure yarn.…That he succeeded, lived to tell tale is nothing short of amazing, Rose does full justice in her appealing book. - Charlotte Post and Courier

Somehow stories like these get lost as memories fade…for some reason the incredible trek of Robert Fortune has lain dormant – until author Sarah Rose dusted off his old journals and brought him back to life. – Connect Savannah

Sarah Rose spins this out into a popular history that provides cameos of the late Qing Dynasty, global economics, the development of botany, the tea industry, Victorian sanitation, and other interesting or delicious tidbits. - Asian Review of Books

[FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA] reads like a novel and will take you on a roller coaster of a ride from first page to last. – Newnan-Cowenta Magazine

[Robert Fortune] broke the tea cartel and brought tea-drinking, for both the rich and the poor, to its central place in British life today. – Great British Life

One of the niftiest and most interesting histories I’ve read lately. - Montrose Daily Press

The plot for Sarah Rose’s “For All the Tea in China” seems tailor-made for a Hollywood thriller…a story that should appeal to readers who want to be transported on a historic journey laced with suspense, science and adventure.

19th-century industrial spy stole no.1 drink – Associated Press

A delicious brew of information on the history of tea cultivation and consumption in the Western world…a remarkably riveting tale. Booklist, (starred review)

Journalist Rose  is a rarity, an author who skillfully narrates her own lush work, capturing every nuance perfectly. Library Journal, (starred review)

Sarah Rose steeps us in the story of Robert Fortune. National Geographic Traveler

“Written in an engaging and lively tone, Sarah Rose’s book is as much an adventure story as a piece of history.” Catholic Herald

Bloggers are pouring on praise too, people not related to me and not paid to read my book:

You easily picture the movie version with its Indiana Jones for the botany set. Who knew tea could be so…hot? Food for Thought at Barnes&Noble

How often has the fate of empires hinged on botanists? … I think about the clash between cultures at that time, or orientalism and imperialism, or nationalism and profit, and am fascinated by a prospect of a person moving through that mix and escaping unharmed. (Denver Botanic Gardens)

… a surprising page-turner. This story is absolutely fascinating. (Basil and Spice)

Author Sarah Rose delves into the seductive past and retrieves the best, most aromatic leaves for our enjoyment. (Cineaste’s Bookshelf)

An exciting bit of historical adventure that’s an exciting read, reminding us that concerns over globalization and intellectual property are nothing new. (The Die is Cast)

Rose tells Fortune’s own dramatic story well. (Blogtrotter)

A “tea history” book for those who don’t like history, this book reads like a novel and will take you on a rollercoaster of a ride from first page to last. (Tea with Friends)

A fascinating tale….a good read for anyone who wishes to better understand one element that contributed to the building and destruction of empires or a reader who just wants a well written and entertaining read. (Civil War Novels)

Tea world, transformed forever.  (Tea Hawk)

I highly suggest taking a look at this scandalous slice of history….Tea lovers and history lovers: rejoice! (Newtonville Books)

A fascinating look at Fortune’s adventures, as well as an intimate look into the history of tea… I thoroughly enjoyed his tale. Rose is a compelling writer. (The Passionate Foodie)

A thrilling narrative that combines history, geography, botany, natural science, and old-fashioned adventure. (Birdbooker Report)

Not only is the narrative entertaining, but it’s also extremely informative.  I love learning something new.  For instance, did you know that black and green teas come from the same plant? (Collateral Bloggage)

The author has written a well-researched tale with the skill of a good story teller.  A delightful new book that both entertains and informs! (Silver Tips Tea Blog)

A wonderful example of what a historical book can be. (Review of the Scrolls)

The tea industry would never again be the same in the wake of the massive global changes brought about by British Empire-building. (Tea Writings)

Tea has a dirty, murderous, and unsavoury history, one that not too many people know about while reading their history books in school. (Learning About China for Children)

Hopefully readers of this book will not only be tea aficionados; the story and writing is sure to appeal to a wide variety of other readers as well. (Southwestern Vine Street)

Fascinating, and duly filed away for future inspiration for a story! (Rabia Gale)

Tea has a dirty, murderous, and unsavoury history. (Red Room)

The BBC chose FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA as Book of the Week.

Listen to all 5 episodes, with Maureen Beattie reading.

Gastronomic pleasure is all about the details: always add a tiny splash of water to whisky to release the hidden aromas; never eat cheese straight from the fridge. There is a trick to making a cup of tea, too, as Sarah Rose reveals in her entertaining new book.

What a hero he is, disguising himself as Chinese with a long black pigtail to venture into China’s alarming hinterland to smuggle out tea plants….He had to face all 19th Century China’s perils — bandits, cannibalism, fevers and pirates. This, and the detailed description of how tea is made from raw camellia leaves will ensure you value your cuppa as never before.

Review
Rose’s account is full of colour
–The Times

Review
Reshapes into gripping prose Fortune’s own memoirs and letters … An enthusiastic tale of how the humble leaf became a global addiction

Review
The best parts of the book are not the dangers that Fortune encountered, but Rose’s assured, confident descriptions of the manufacture of tea. Like Fortune, the reader goes on a journey of discovery

Review
[Fortune's] story is well worth the telling, and despite the dearth of private papers, Rose does so with skill and restraint

Review
Reveals our cuppa wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for an amazing Victorian, armed only with a rusty pistol and a pigtail, who stole the secret of tea from under the nose of China’s ruthless warlords

Scotland on Sunday
A compelling sketch of the world of globalisation before instant information, and transforms a modest Scottish botanist into a swashbuckling pirate capitalist … A genuinely curious and evocative yarn

]]> http://sarahrose.com/2009/04/ego-gratification/feed/ 0 http://sarahrose.com/2009/04/magazines-weigh-in-too/ http://sarahrose.com/2009/04/magazines-weigh-in-too/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:08:53 +0000 sarah http://sarahrose.com/?p=248 The Tattler and the Resident are on Robert Fortune’s side.

Travel?  You dare not read the amazing For All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose.  It’ll get you going – in disguise, yet.

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