Tobacco is the background of several novels: enough to think of the Italian “The girls of San Frediano” by Vasco Pratolini, or at international level of “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe, of Lord Byron’s poems with lyrics to tobacco, of “Carmen” by Prosper Mérimée which then became the subject of the omonimous opera by Bizet, of “The tobacco road” by Erskine Caldwell, of “The tree of liberty” by Elizabeth Page. The use of tobacco is one of the salient points of famous literary characters such as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Inspector Maigret, various characters in the novels by Hemingway, Dostoevskij, Naguib Mahfouz, Ian Fleming, without forgetting the communist mayor Peppone, Don Camillo’s friendly enemy, and the hookah-smoking Caterpillar in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” who enjoys its water-pipe sitting on a mushroom.
Novels
- Defoe Daniel, Robinson Crusoe, 1719
Robinson Crusoe defied his father’s recommendation to seek a “middle way” of life, and run off to find his fortune at sea. After a series of misadventures including storms at sea and capture by pirates, he succeeds in becoming a tobacco plantation owner in “the Brasils.” When he set out to add slave trading to his income, a storm shipwrecked him on a desert island, where he realized he was all alone with no supplies, only a knife, a tobacco-pipe, and a little tobacco in a box. Here he had to learn to support himself through farming, hunting, and simple carpentry, making whatever he could not salvage from the ship.
- Caldwell Erskine, Tobacco Road, 1932
Set during the Depression in the depleted farmlands of Georgia, it is the story of the Lesters, a family of white sharecroppers becoming totally destitute through the obstinacy of the head of the family, Jeeter, to continue to grow cotton on his piece of land rather than going to work in a factory to earn enough to support the rest of the family. The brilliantly portrayed wife Ada, always desperate for new clothes and hats, and the old grandmother, always looking for food and tobacco, add character to the story.
- Mérimée Prospère, Carmen, 1845, later transformed by Georges Bizet in the world-famous opera
In Spain a traveler is enchanted by a beautiful Romani woman who works in a cigar manufacture and who attracts the love of many men, who are ready to kill each other for her love and in the end she meets her fate by the hand of one of them.
- Page Elizabeth, The tree of liberty,1939
The story tells the adventures of three generations of tow families from 1754 to 1806, as they move from the Eastern seaboard to the Western frontier and take part in great national events. The story weaves itself around Thomas Jefferson who in addition to being a great revolutionary and politician, was also a large tobacco planter.
Antique books
XVII Century
XVIII Century
- Walpole, Robert, A letter from a Member of Parliament, to his friend in the country, concerning duties on wine and tobacco, Dublin, 1733 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Christ, Johann Ludwig, Patriotische Nachricht und für jeden Landmann deutliche Anweisung zu dem eintraglichen Tabaksbau, und zwar des so genannten asiatischen Tabaks, 1780 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Fowler, Thomas, Medical reports of the effects of tobacco, principal with regard to its diuretic quality, in the cure of dropsies and dysuries: together with some observations on the use of clysters of tobacco, in the treatment of the colic, London, 1785 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Blocquel, Simon, Tabaciana, recueil intéressant dédié aux tabacomanes et aux antagonistes du cigare, de la pipe et de la tabatière, par Ana-Gramme Blismon, Delarue Libraire-Editeur, Paris, 1787 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Traité complet de la culture, fabrication et vente du tabac, d’après les procedés pratiques dans la Pannonie, la Virginie, le Danemarck … par un ancien cultivateur, Buisson, Paris, 1791 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy
XIX Century
- Banning, Florentius, De Herba Nicotianae Dissertatio inauguralis medica quam consensu et auctoritate gratiosi medicorum ordinis in Universitate Litteraria Berolinensi ut summi in medicina et chirurgia honores rite sibi concedantur die XX. M. Septembris A. MDCCCXXIV H. L. Q. S. publice defensurus est auctor Florentius Banning. Opponentibus: W. L. Doering, I. E. Saarburg, G. H. Rampelmann, Typis Ioannis Friderici Starckii, 1824 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Condições do contracto geral do Tabaco destes Reinos, ilhas adjacentes, e Macao, por tempo de tres annos, que começárão em o primeiro de Maio de mil oitocentos e quarenta, e hão de findar em trinta d’Abril de mil oitocentos quarenta e tres : de que são contractadores Manoel José de Freitas Guimarães, e José Dias Leite Sampaio, e mais socios que nestas se declaraõ, Galhardo e Irmãoa, Lisbon, 1840 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Henrieck, G.A, Du tabac, son historie, sa culture, sa fabrication, son commerce, ses propriétés mèdicinal et toxiques, son influence sur l’homme : moyens d’en user selon son tempérament d’en retirer la plus grande somme de bien-être et de joussance et d’éviter les maux qui résultent de son abus, Desloges, 1864 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Blatin, A., Recherches physiologiques et cliniques sur la nicotine et le tabac précédées d’une introduction sur la méthode expérimentale en thérapeutique par le docteur A. Blantin, Ed. Bailliere, 1870, France – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- De Lambertière, M., Rapports faits à l’assemblée nationale française au nom de la Commission d’enquête sur l’exploitation du monopole des tabacs et des poudres par Mr. Lebourgeois sur la vents de tabacs, Mr. De Lamberterie sur les achats faits par la Régie, Mr. Blin de Bourdon concernant le rètablissement des zônes et l’abaissement des tarifs des tabacs de cantine, Tipografia Elzeviriana nel Ministero delle Finanze, Italy, 1881 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Kissling, R., Der Tabak Im Lichte Der Neusten Naturwissenschaftlichen Forschungen Kurzgefasstes Handbuch der Tabakkunde für Tabakbauer, -Händler und -Fabrikanten, sowie für Ärzte und Chemiker, Verlag von Paul Parey, Berlin, Germany, 1893 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Sutherland, G.F., Tobacco as a farmer’s crop for new South Wales, Charles Potter, Sydney, Australia, 1894 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Killebrew, J.B, Myrick, H., Tobacco leaf, its culture and cure, marketing and manufacture: a practical handbook on the most approved methods in growing, harvesting, curing, packing and selling tobacco, also of tobacco manufacture, Orange Judd Company, New York, USA, 1897 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Depierris, H.A., Physiologie Sociale. Le Tabac, qui contient le plus violent des poisons, la nicotine abrége-t-il l’existence? Est-il cause de la dégénérescence physique et morale des sociétés modernes?, Flammarion, Paris, France, 1898 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- McGuire, J.D., Pipes and smoking customs of the American aborigines, based on material in the U. S. National Museum, Government Printing Office, Washington, USA, 1899 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
XX Century
- Laurent, L., Le Tabac, sa culture et sa préparation, production et consommation dans les divers pays, A. Challamel, Paris, France, 1900 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Westerman, W., De tabakscultuur op Sumatra’s Oostkust Met medewerking van deskundigen samengesteld door, J. H. De Bussy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1901 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Odlum, G.M., The culture of tobacco, British South Africa Company, Department of Agriculture, Salisbury, current Zimbabwe, 1905 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Comes, O., Histoire, géographie, statistique du tabac, son introduction et son expansion dans tous le Pays depuis son origine jusqu’ à la fin du XIX.me siécle avec des notes sur l’usage de tous les excitants connus: hachich, opium, bétel, café, etc. par le D.r. Prof. O. Comes, Typographie coopérative, Naples, Italy, 1909 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Rezultatele exploatarei monopolului tutunului pentru anul 1909-10 (cumparare, fabricatiune si vânzare / Ministerul FInantelor. Directiunea Generala a Regiei Monopolurilor Statului = Résultats de l’exploitation du monopole du tabac pour l’année 1909-1910 (achat, fabrication et vente) / Ministère des Finances. Direction Générale de la Régie des Monopoles de l’État, Tipografia Albert Baer, Bucharest, Romania, 1913 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.
- Howard, G.L.C., Studies in Indian tobaccos. No. 3: The inheritance of characters in Nicotiana Tabacum, Thacker, Spink, London, UK, 1913 – “Leonardo Angeloni” Library of the Unit for the Research on alternative crops to tobacco, Scafati SA, Italy.