Merchants of Deceit: Opium, American Fortune & the China Trade

This work of historical fiction follows the life and times of 19th century Connecticut cotton goods agent, young, Samuel Russell, as he travels to far-away Canton, China to open new markets. He soon discovers the true key to wealth and success is in the opium trade. The reader is taken inside the lush and secretive settings of the Chinese emperor's imperial palaces, and into the gritty streets and busy waterways of ancient Canton and the exotic Pearl River. Chinese culture, based on ancient ways and traditions, comes to life, as does the drama and danger associated with the opium trade--revealing a little-known chapter in American history--as Russell and others pursue their ambitions under the nose and over the objections of the Qing-era emperors. Violent confrontations and betrayal, temptation and intrigue confront Russell at every turn as he builds his fortune while navigating the cut throat world of the opium dealer.

Richard J. Friswell, MPhil, is a Wesleyan University Visiting Scholar and director of the Wesleyan University Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL). He is the author of three books on topics related to cultural history, including, Hudson River Chronicles: In Search of the Splendid & Sublime on America's 'First' River (2019). A Branford, CT resident, he lectures widely on topics related to the modern era, the period, 1750-1945.