Gin: The Much Lamented Death of Madam Geneva the Eighteenth Century Gin Craze - Softcover

"Patrick Dillon has written a marvellously vivid depiction of the gin craze, in which a colourful procession of rogues, strumpets and wayward vagabonds stagger from tavern to tavern in search of the demonic Madame Geneva." — Giles Milton, author of Nathaniel's Nutmeg and Samurai William

"Gin is both a vividly drawn excursion into the gin-soaked underworld of eighteenth-century London and a vivid recreation of an event which shaped our modern attitudes to alcohol: this is potent stuff." — Richard Hamblyn, author of The Invention of Clouds

"Patrick Dillon has researched the history of the 18th-century gin craze in admirable detail, and he ends with some sage remarks about drugs in our own time." — Frank Kermode, The Guardian

"A vividly clear, fascinating study." — Val Hennessy, The Daily Mail

"... a crisp, fast-paced account ... Dillon paints a vivid picture of hard-drinking London, high on spirits and speculation ...Dillon’s book offers a fascinating tale, ringing with authentic voices." —Jenny Uglow, Sunday Times

"Patrick Dillon has gathered together some marvelous tales here. This book is as crowded with sensational incident as an 18th-century newspaper ... With its manic tempo, Dillon’s prose embodies the relentless energy of the time ... the city’s infinite variety is successfully invoked, and he has, too, a gift for simplifying complex issues." —Thomas Wright, Daily Telegraph

Patrick Dillon was born in London and has always held a passionate interest in it and its history. He studied architecture and architectural history at University College, London. He has, for the past twelve years, run a successful London architectural practice with projects including buildings for the Poetry Society and the Chelsea Theatre. He has a special expertise in the history of eighteenth century architecture, and is currently acting as a consultant on the redevelopment of the Benjamin Franklin House in London as a museum and study center. Patrick is married and has two children. He has previously published two novels, Truth (Penguin, 1997) and Lies (Penguin, 1998).