Martin Booth – författare

To some it's antisocial anathema, to others it is a harmless way to relax, or provides relief from crippling pain. Some fear it is a dangerous drug that leads to 'reefer madness' and addiction; to others still it is a legal anomaly and should be decriminalized. Whatever the viewpoint, and by whatever name it is known, cannabis - or marijuana, hashish, pot, dope, kif, weed, dagga, grass, ganja - incites debate at every level. In this definitive study, Martin Booth - author of the acclaimed OPIUM: A HISTORY - charts the history of cannabis from the Neolithic period to the present day. It is a fascinating, colourful tale of medical advance, religious enlightenment, political subterfuge and human rights; of law enforcement and customs officers, smugglers, street pushers, gang warfare, writers, artists, musicians, hippies and pot-heads.Booth chronicles the remarkable and often mystifying process through which cannabis, a relatively harmless substance, became outlawed throughout the Western world, and the devastating effect such legislation has had on the global economy. Above all, he demonstrates how the case for decriminalization remains one of the twenty-first century's hottest topics.

Martin Booth died in February 2004, shortly after finishing the book that would be his epitaph - this wonderfully remembered, beautifully told memoir of a childhood lived to the full in a far-flung outpost of the British Empire...An inquisitive seven-year-old, Martin Booth found himself with the whole of Hong Kong at his feet when his father was posted there in the early 1950s. Unrestricted by parental control and blessed with bright blond hair that signified good luck to the Chinese, he had free access to hidden corners of the colony normally closed to a Gweilo, a 'pale fellow' like him. Befriending rickshaw coolies and local stallholders, he learnt Cantonese, sampled delicacies such as boiled water beetles and one-hundred-year-old eggs, and participated in colourful festivals. He even entered the forbidden Kowloon Walled City, wandered into the secret lair of the Triads and visited an opium den. Along the way he encountered a colourful array of people, from the plink plonk man with his dancing monkey to Nagasaki Jim, a drunken child molester, and the Queen of Kowloon, the crazed tramp who may have been a member of the Romanov family.Shadowed by the unhappiness of his warring parents, a broad-minded mother who, like her son, was keen to embrace all things Chinese, and a bigoted father who was enraged by his family's interest in 'going native', Martin Booth's compelling memoir is a journey into Chinese culture and an extinct colonial way of life that glows with infectious curiosity and humour.

First published in 1985, British Poetry presents a personal and political account of British poetry from 1964 to 1984. Martin booth, himself a poet, poetry publisher, critic and editor, and the participant in poetry readings in Britain and overseas, shows that British poetry underwent a renaissance in the ten years from around 1964: poetry became a major popular art form, shaking off its shackles of elitism and academicism; poetry readings flourished, whether live or on the air and audiences increased; many new poets found willing publishers. He looks at the manner in which British poetry rose, only to fall back into a morbid sleek artiness where he sees it laying today, once again a narrow art for the literary educated and the initiated.The book aims to reverse this change of direction so that British poetry may once again have the impact it briefly had in its recent heyday. Martin Booth also provides a general guide to the period, with much comment included from those who were involved in the act of keeping British poetry going in those exciting years. He deals with the poets themselves, with the publishing of poetry, and poetry magazines, and his ‘non-literary’, ‘non-academic’ approach will appeal to all those who have an interest in modern British verse.

First published in 1985, British Poetry presents a personal and political account of British poetry from 1964 to 1984. Martin booth, himself a poet, poetry publisher, critic and editor, and the participant in poetry readings in Britain and overseas, shows that British poetry underwent a renaissance in the ten years from around 1964: poetry became a major popular art form, shaking off its shackles of elitism and academicism; poetry readings flourished, whether live or on the air and audiences increased; many new poets found willing publishers. He looks at the manner in which British poetry rose, only to fall back into a morbid sleek artiness where he sees it laying today, once again a narrow art for the literary educated and the initiated.The book aims to reverse this change of direction so that British poetry may once again have the impact it briefly had in its recent heyday. Martin Booth also provides a general guide to the period, with much comment included from those who were involved in the act of keeping British poetry going in those exciting years. He deals with the poets themselves, with the publishing of poetry, and poetry magazines, and his ‘non-literary’, ‘non-academic’ approach will appeal to all those who have an interest in modern British verse.

In 1977 and 1981, Martin Booth-then a poet and small-press publisher, but today better-known as a novelist-published two collections of work about Knotting, the Bedfordshire village where he then lived: The Knotting Sequence and The Cnot Dialogues. The books were published in fine, limited-run editions by The Elizabeth Press in New Rochelle, New York, and few copies travelled across the Atlantic. Indeed, the second of the two books was one of the final books to be published by Elizabeth and received only limited distribution. Here we have spliced the two books together, otherwise unchanged.

Welcome to the home of Wallace and Gromit, and Blackbeard and Banksy. Bristol is where the world’s first solid chocolate bar was created (Ribena was also invented here) and you can still watch delicious chocolate creations made by modern day Willy Wonkas. The city has a hidden castle (you just need to know where to look) and secret vaults underneath the Clifton Suspension Bridge only rediscovered recently after being hidden for more than 100 years. Climb inside these vaults, or into the cockpit of the final Concorde to fly or ride your skateboard in what used to be a swimming pool. If water is your thing, you can surf guaranteed waves at an inland surfing lake or take a trip in a boat that used to fight fires. Science and art collide at We The Curious, which has the UK’s only 3D planetarium.If you think you know Bristol, think again. Allow this book to be your guide to Bristol’s best bits for kids.

Bristol is one of the UK's biggest cities but is small enough to sometimes feel like a village. It is a city built on trading with much of its former maritime heritage now transformed into buzzing independent harbourside businesses in which to eat, drink and let your hair down. Both water and green spaces abound. And you'll have to get used to hills when exploring this cosmopolitan city because like Rome, Bristol was built on seven of them. Step away from the obvious - the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the SS Great Britain (both designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel), or the wonderful We The Curious where science and art collide - and discover unexpected treasures such as secret gardens, hidden memorials to the past and unusual modes of transport.Journey through the old haunts of world famous pirates; past the Oscar-winning animation studio home to Morph and Wallace & Gromit; along shopping streets that sell everything from handcrafted violin bows to locally-made gin; and through an indoor market selling everything from spices to fossils. If you know where to look, Bristol will unravel its secrets in front of your eyes.

Bath is a city of contrasts. Legend has it that its hot springs were discovered by pigs cured of leprosy after wallowing in warm mud. Beyond the world-famous Georgian crescents and Roman ruins lies a small city with an unexpected past: once home to giant industrial cranes shipped worldwide, the birthplace of Plasticine, and a place whose history narrowly escaped destruction by over-zealous planners. Its beauty and ancient origins even made it a bombing target during the Second World War. Most of the quirky corners featured in this book are within easy walking distance. But Bath’s UNESCO World Heritage status extends beyond hot springs, Roman archaeology and Georgian architecture to include its dramatic natural setting, so be prepared for the occasional uphill walk. Along the way you’ll discover burial grounds and bollards, a slippery lane and a sentry box. Why was England’s first king crowned here? Where are traces of historic floods? Who built a treasure-filled tower to escape dull company – and why is one red postbox grey?

Bristol is one of the UK's biggest cities but is small enough to sometimes feel like a village. It is a city built on trading with much of its former maritime heritage now transformed into buzzing independent harbourside businesses in which to eat, drink and let your hair down. Both water and green spaces abound. And you'll have to get used to hills when exploring this cosmopolitan city because like Rome, Bristol was built on seven of them. Step away from the obvious - the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the SS Great Britain (both designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel), or the wonderful We The Curious where science and art collide - and discover unexpected treasures such as secret gardens, hidden memorials to the past and unusual modes of transport.Journey through the old haunts of world famous pirates; past the Oscar-winning animation studio home to Morph and Wallace & Gromit; along shopping streets that sell everything from handcrafted violin bows to locally-made gin; and through an indoor market selling everything from spices to fossils. If you know where to look, Bristol will unravel its secrets in front of your eyes.