One of the oldest and most potent natural stimulants, the leaves of the coca plant is the organic source from which cocaine is synthesised. Fresh coca leaves and products made from them have verified medicinal and healing properties - and not the same addictive qualities or negative side effects as cocaine. In the late 19th century, coca products became hugely successful in Europe and the United States. Many celebrities sang their praises, including Pope Benedict XV, Sarah Bernhardt, Thomas Edison, H. G. Wells and the doctors of Ulysses S Grant. In this full-colour illustrated history of coca wine, author, Aymon de Lestrange, follows Mariani's interest in coca from its medicinal applications as an anaesthetic to the creation of the tonic wine. The author explores the botany of coca, how it differs from cocaine, its traditional use in pre-Columbian America and scientific studies on coca from the 17th through 19th centuries, including from Sigmund Freud, who was a known user. He demonstrates how Mariani became, in many ways, the father of modern advertising with his highly successful advertising campaigns. He includes vivid reproductions of Mariani's advertisements, showing how Mariani commissioned top writers and artists of the day to produce works celebrating coca wine. The author reveals how Vin Mariani was the forerunner of Coca- Cola, which clearly plagiarised, not only Mariani's product, but, also, his advertising methods. Looking to the future of coca, the author shows how it has gained renewed interest in the scientific community for its therapeutic and nutritional properties and in the spiritual community, which is seeking to rehabilitate the reputation of coca, the sacred plant of the Incas.