A cellar door creaked open in the middle of the night, or a hand slipping
quickly into a trenchcoat—the most compelling transactions are surely those we
never see. Smuggling can conjure images of adventure and rebellion in popular
culture—Han Solo knew all about it, as did Al Capone—but as Simon Harvey shows
in this fascinating book, smuggling has had a profound effect on the geopolitics
of the world. Shining a light onto seven centuries of dark history, he
illuminates a world of intrigue and fortunes, hinged on outlaw desires and those
who have been willing to fulfill them.
Harvey tells this story by focusing on the most