Short Synopsis
Journalist Sarah Rose presents a dramatic historical narrative of the man who stole the secret of tea from China.

Full Synopsis
In 1848, the British East India Company, having lost its monopoly on the tea trade, engaged Robert Fortune, a Scottish gardener, botanist, and plant hunter, to make a clandestine trip into the interior of China—territory forbidden to foreigners—to steal the closely guarded secrets of tea horticulture and manufacturing. For All the Tea in China is the remarkable account of Fortune's journeys into China—a thrilling narrative that combines history, geography, botany, natural science, and old-fashioned adventure.

Disguised in Mandarin robes, Fortune ventured deep into the country, confronting pirates, hostile climate, and his own untrustworthy men as he made his way to the epicenter of tea production, the remote Wu Yi Shan hills. One of the most daring acts of corporate espionage in history, Fortune's pursuit of China's ancient secret makes for a classic nineteenth-century adventure tale, one in which the fate of empires hinges on the feats of one extraordinary man.

"With her probing inquiry and engaging prose, Sarah Rose paints a fresh and vivid account of life in rural 19th-century China and Fortune's fateful journey into it." ---The Washington Post

"Rose is a rarity, an author who skillfully narrates her own lush work, capturing every nuance perfectly." ---Library Journal Starred Audio Review

"A delicious brew of information on the history of tea cultivation and consumption in the Western world.... A remarkably riveting tale." ---Booklist Starred Review

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