By Phil Baker.

Beginning with the 1905 Absinthe Murders, this book offers a cultural history of absinthe, from its modest origins as a herbal tonic through its luxuriantly morbid heyday in the late nineteenth century. After discussing the rituals and modus operandi of absinthe drinking, an appendix tests the various real and fake absinthe products that are now available. From the 1890s decadence to the American Gothic subculture, this is the most up-to-date and wide-ranging study of a substance that is as mythical as opium.

Paperback - 224 pages.