Imperial twilight : the opium war and the end of China's last golden age

When Britain declared war on China in 1839, it sealed the fate of what had been, for centuries, the wealthiest and most powerful empire in the world.China was much weaker than was commonly understood and the war set in motion the fall of the Qing dynasty which, in turn, would lead to the rise of nationalism and communism in the twentieth century. Beginning with the very first efforts by the British government to 'open' China to trade, Stephen Platt tells the epic story of the decades leading up to the war and, given the growing uncertainty in current relations between China and the West, shows how the conflict still has important implications for the world today. Shortlisted For The 2018 Baillie Gifford Prize A Financial Times Book Of The Year A Sunday Times Book Of The Year ________________________________________ 'entertaining And Well-paced... Platt's Compelling Book Is A Sobering Read That Should Focus The Minds Of Those Who Like To Talk Of The Achievements Of The Victorian Age Without Thinking About How Those Were Achieved, Or How They Were Funded.' Peter Frankopan, Spectator ________________________________________ In 1839 Britain Embarked On The First Of Its Wars With China, Sealing The Fate Of The Most Prosperous And Powerful Empire In Asia, If Not The World. Motivated By Drug Profiteering And Free-trade Interests, The Opium War Helped Shaped The China We Know Today, Sparking The Eventual Fall Of The Qing Dynasty And The Rise Of Nationalism And Communism In The Twentieth Century. Imperial Twilight Is A Riveting And Revealing Account Of The End Of China's Golden Age And The Origins Of One Of The Most Unjust Wars In History. When Britain declared war on China in 1839, it sealed the fate of what had been, for centuries, the wealthiest and most powerful empire in the world. China was much weaker than was commonly understood and the war set in motion the fall of the Qing dynasty which, in turn, would lead to the rise of nationalism and communism in the twentieth century. Beginning with the very first efforts by the British government to 'open' China to trade, Stephen Platt tells the epic story of the decades leading up to the war and, given the growing uncertainty in current relations between China and the West, shows how the conflict still has important implications for the world today Describes how nineteenth-century British efforts to open China to trade set in motion the fall of the Qing dynasty and started a war that allowed for the rise of nationalism and communism in the twentieth century The definitive history of the Opium War between Britain and China in the nineteenth century, shortlisted for the 2018 Baillie Gifford Prize.