Buy new:
$22.38
FREE delivery Thursday, May 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
List Price: $25.00 Details

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Save: $2.62 (10%)
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, May 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, May 1. Order within 17 hrs 53 mins
Only 6 left in stock (more on the way).
$$22.38 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$22.38
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$3.99 delivery May 6 - 10. Details
Or fastest delivery May 2 - 7. Details
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by midtownscholarbookstore
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comment: HARDCOVER Very Good - Crisp, clean, unread book with some shelfwear/edgewear, may have a remainder mark - NICE Standard-sized.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Kim Walker
Follow
Mark Nesbitt
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Just the Tonic: A Natural History of Tonic Water Hardcover – January 19, 2020

by Kim Walker (Author), Mark Nesbitt (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 25 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$22.38","priceAmount":22.38,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"22","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"38","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"0I6DwIUKMZBP9LXE2TXlwXDHZlWuSqOtME%2BahMpH9OyAfqOZAUAJqF14%2FGkv0uex4iXntKrrgxYV8fX5YamBx3Lm0xEiTlIB5BXO24C5b5KPxOW%2BBSuJ9SMty2Sh22Xp7QVZuPUurji2oDlsf1t5PA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$13.70","priceAmount":13.70,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"70","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"0I6DwIUKMZBP9LXE2TXlwXDHZlWuSqOt8sBJgqTU7xWnws7Qp5p6PAFwODJVXssh0dtbRmtMlDO37FK2nIwcVqgIgrG7LSt3Sa%2BWA6VwhQ4Ni%2FYi7%2Btc%2Fg8IAAPHYMZ2AIoQtL1UZAt5TJNfrWfzTBP9TuU0mjQFr9GsznBrIIQ%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Tonic water elicits images of sparkling drinks and stirred concoctions, but it has a history that reaches beyond the bar. Its roots go back centuries, starting with the Andes and the cinchona tree, and it had its start as a natural medicine instead of as a tasty mixer. Quinine, tonic water’s signature ingredient, was once used to treat Malaria and is still used by some to soothe leg cramps. From the Quechua people and Spanish colonists, to French chemists and British officers, the journey from botanical discovery to cocktail staple is a fascinating story.
Just the Tonic is an accessible yet informative history of tonic water, written by leading experts from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew—which is home to one of the largest collections in the world of historic cinchona. It takes us through the discovery and development of quinine and its eventual meeting with sparkling water. It also introduces us to the basic botany and development of the cinchona tree.
The iconic gin and tonic cocktail is not forgotten in these pages. The authors look at the changing role of the drink, tracing the rise and fall, and rise again, of cocktails straight from officers’ messes of British India, the art deco cocktail bars of the 1920s, through to the Mad Men era and the recent resurgence of gin as a drink of choice. A final chapter on cocktail recipes provides instructions on how to make delicious alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks using an array of different tonics and spirits. Mixed into the book are reproductions of stunning historical artwork, posters, and photographs.
This is the first authoritative book on the history and role of tonic water, making it the perfect addition to both bookshelves and bar carts.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    144 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  4. Publication date
    January 19, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    6.75 x 1.5 x 9.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1842466895
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1842466896
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Tonic almost always plays second fiddle to either gin or vodka, but here, it takes center stage. Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt . . . trace the evolution of quinine, the ingredient that gives tonic water its distinct flavor, from its ancient medicinal usage through its modern incarnation as both natural remedy and popular mixer component. Included are recipes for tonic cocktails, among them nonalcoholic options.” ― Publishers Weekly

“Well-researched and lavishly produced, it looks at how a malaria cure from South America ended up becoming an ingredient in Britain’s favourite mixed drink, the gin and tonic.” ― Spectator

“The authors successfully bring together the history of quinine, fizzy water and gin in this entertaining, highly illustrated account.” ― Daily Mail

"Richly illustrated with botanical drawings, posters and advertisements touting the benefits of the numerous tonics made from cinchona throughout the decades, the book winds its way through the natural history and horticulture of the 'fever tree,' dips into malarial medicine, pharmacology and chemistry, traces the invention of 'aerated' soda water and the rise of the soft drink industry, and discusses the roots of mixology, with a quick detour to the use and production of ice in beverage culture." ― Chicago Tribune

“Well-presented and laid out, the writing is engaging. Photographs, posters, prints, and botanical artwork grace almost every page and make this the first authoritative history of tonic water an ideal gift.”

― The Field

“A delightfully accessible—and richly-illustrated—tome.” ― Country Life

"Just the Tonic brings together three strands to tell a single story, mixing well-informed historical narrative and quirky anecdote. . . . The book is beautifully produced. It abounds with magnificent and  sometimes surprising illustrations, all carefully chosen, coming from the unparalleled collections of Kew Gardens and the Wellcome Collection." ― Gastronomica

“A complete history of tonic water, including a chapter on both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail recipes.” ― Bookseller

“Discoveries from this latest fact-finding expedition launched from London’s Kew Gardens reveal nearly everything I learned about tonic water is a myth. The true story told here traverses the globe; from the age of exploration through the Industrial Revolution and beyond, before dropping readers off in the midst of a mixed drink renaissance. From fever trees to pharmacies and mixology; few tipples team with a tale as beguiling and quixotic as quinine.” -- Jim Meehan, author of The PDT Cocktail Book and Meehan’s Bartender Manual

About the Author

Mark Nesbitt is an ethnobotanist and curator of the Economic Botany Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 1st edition (January 19, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1842466895
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1842466896
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.75 x 1.5 x 9.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 25 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Kim Walker

    Kim Walker

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    *Winner of the Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Book Awards 2020, Best Debut Drink Book: Just the Tonic (Kew, 2019).*

    Kim Walker specialises in researching the history of plants as medicines. She is currently working on a PhD on cinchona and quinine at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Royal Holloway, University of London. She is on the committee of the Herbal History Research Network, the British Society for the History of Pharmacy, the Society of Economic Botany and is a member of the Association of Foragers. For research and consultancy, her website is www.kimwalkerresearch.co.uk

    Kim is also the co-author of modern herbals: The Handmade Apothecary (Kyle Books, 2017) and The Herbal Remedy Handbook (Kyle Books, 2019). Her educational herbal and foraging walks, talks and workshops can be found at www.handmadeapothecary.co.uk

    See more on the author's page
  2. Mark Nesbitt

    Mark Nesbitt

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    I'm a museum curator and researcher in useful plants at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and a Visiting Professor in Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. I've been fascinated by the relations between plants and people since I was at school, and am now lucky enough to look after the Economic Botany Collection at Kew, which is made up of about 100,000 plant raw materials and artefacts.

    You can find out more about me at www.marknesbitt.org.uk

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
25 global ratings
Extraordinary book
5 Stars
Extraordinary book
A real piece of literary art combining history, botany, anthropology, modern and traditional medicine, among many other areas. An extraordinarily interesting book, so well written, that even people without any history, science/biology backgrounds would enjoy reading.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

brio
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary book
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
A real piece of literary art combining history, botany, anthropology, modern and traditional medicine, among many other areas. An extraordinarily interesting book, so well written, that even people without any history, science/biology backgrounds would enjoy reading.
Customer image
brio
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary book
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2020
A real piece of literary art combining history, botany, anthropology, modern and traditional medicine, among many other areas. An extraordinarily interesting book, so well written, that even people without any history, science/biology backgrounds would enjoy reading.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
Helpful
 Report
mike
1.0 out of 5 stars No original tonic recipe
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
Warning! Do NOT buy if you are looking for the original tonic water recipe using cinchona bark. This is just a history book on tonic water. Not an actual useful reference for making it.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
RMOBBGD
5.0 out of 5 stars Klasse Buch, informativ und tolles Layout
Reviewed in Germany on February 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
Sehr schön geschriebenes Buch mit vielen ansprechenden Bildern und vielen Informationen zur Geschichte. Die beiden Autoren haben sich richtig Mühe gegeben. Ein gutes Buch für jeden Gin Liebhaber.
Report
Angela McFadden
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating history, with fab pictures!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love this book - so much so that I bought another for my mother. Amusing and fascinating, with lovely illustrations and period cartoons throughout. It's a beautifully produced hardback, as you'd expect from a collaboration with Kew, written with bounce and verve by two people who clearly know their subject. Top gift - for yerself, or for anyone who likes plants, history, and / or gin!
2 people found this helpful
 Report