Not Just the Tudors

How Coffee and Tobacco Captivated Britain

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Episode notes

When tobacco arrived in Britain in the 1560s, it was hailed as a "holy herb", a miracle cure to improve health and a catalyst for wit and creativity. The coming of coffee - "black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love" - in the mid-17th century led to the establishment of coffee houses where debates flourished and innovations were born that helped to shape the modern world. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Matthew Green - author of London: A Travel Guide Through Time - about how nicotine and caffeine changed British habits.  

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