They are Quinine, that allowed Europeans to dominate the Tropics; Sugar, that changed the Caribbean population from Red Arawaks and Caribs to White Masters and Black Slaves; Tea, that inter alia, led to the destruction of classical China through the use by traders of opium in exchange for tea; Cotton, that, like sugar in the Caribbean, led to a slave-economy in the Southern United States; and finally, the Potato, which produced huge increases in the Irish population and, when disease struck the potato, famine followed as did the greening of some of the United States. Through the histories of these five key crops, Hobhouse demonstrates how man's need, or greed, for these products has changed the face of history and shaped destinies.

'This marvellous book is hard to beat.' Sunday Telegraph

'Fascinating ... makes you think about the mysterious and often paradoxical ways in which providence operates' Daily Mail

'A wonderful read, provocative and well-informed' Independent