Professor Rod Phillips spent 12 days in Shanghai, China, in June. He participated in the “Changing Minds: Societies, States, the Sciences and Psychoactive Substances in History” conference at Shanghai University, 11-14 June. It was sponsored by the Center for Drug Policy Studies at Shanghai University, the Centre for Social History of Health and Healthcare at Strathclyde University (Scotland), and the Alcohol and Drugs History Society.
Rod gave a paper on French wine requisitioning during World War I in a session on ‘Alcohol in France during World War I’. The French army provided generous wine and brandy rations to soldiers during the war, and he discussed the problems of obtaining enough suitable wine from producers in Burgundy. He drew on research from one of his current projects, a history of wine in the Burgundy region.
The evening after the conference ended, Rod participated in the launch of the Chinese edition of his book Alcohol: A History. First published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2014 and as a paperback in 2019, it has appeared in several translations and editions and as an audiobook. The Chinese edition was launched in the Light Space Book Store, where Rod talked about alcohol, answered questions, and signed copies of his book.
Earlier that day Rod was interviewed about his book by China Business News, China’s largest business news network.
During the following week, Rod gave invited lectures at Shanghai Normal University and Shanghai Ocean University. At the first he spoke to faculty and students on aspects of the history of women and the family in Europe. At Shanghai Ocean University, he spoke on trends in wine consumption and preferences in North America and Europe.
Finally, Rod (who has been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Family History since 1996) talked to researchers and faculty at Shanghai Ocean University about publishing in North American academic journals.