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Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age
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Audible Audiobook
Listening Length: 17 hours and 50 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Random House Audio
Audible.com Release Date: May 15, 2018
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Language: English, English
ASIN: B07C3CPG3V
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I was a bit hesitant about this book, although I enjoyed Stephen Platt's prior work on the late Taiping rebellion. That was primarily a military history, while this is not. The Opium Wars have been viewed from a variety of political angles for over a century, and I was concerned what another interpretation might yield. This turned out not to be a problem. It is a fresh look, unburdened by ideological baggage, but still it offers mainly a one sided picture of the period.It is unclear if many Chinese primary sources were used in the research. From the notes much of the material seems to be from English sources. Ironically perhaps, one focus of the book is on the Britons who began to translate from Chinese in the late 18th century. I am assured that the author reads Chinese, and it's certain his intent was to concentrate on the role of the British. At very least you can consider this is a good view from the western side of the divide.The result is a fairly standard but well crafted account of British merchant, missionary and military meddling in Qing China. It covers events from before Macartney's ill fated embassy and refusal to kowtow to the emperor (1793), through Palmerston's assault on the ports and the Treaty of Nanking (1842). The familiarity of these themes does not detract from their retelling. A major strength is the detailed analysis of British proponents and opponents to the opium trade and war.Qing dynasty responses to British diplomatic initiatives and naval incursions, as well as Chinese drug smuggling and addiction are also reviewed. Dramatis personae include the requisite emperors, corrupt officials, Cantonese merchants and Confucian reformers. The key players are sketched out, but are not developed to the extent that the foreign community is. The main focus of the work lies in the lives of the men who came from across the seas to seek their fortunes.The author pursues and at times overtakes the writing techniques of his former mentor and professor at Yale, Jonathan Spence. Character vignettes enliven the historical events, and a narrative flair animates the proceedings. Turns of phrase are clever without feeling contrived. In certain ways this book complements Julia Lovell's recent account, which included the Second Opium War, Elgin's looting and arson of the Summer Palace, and the long term political aftermath.
Imperial Twilight is a historical account of British trade in China from the late 18th century to early 19th century and the dynamics that eventually led to armed conflict. It gives a history of the era via a focus on particular individuals in politics, trade and religious outreach that formed the early foundations of diplomacy and cultural understanding. The book is entertaining and informative and gives the reader a sense of the instincts and perspectives of the time and the cultural and commercial frictions that eventually led to the Opium War.The book is split into three parts, in the first part the author starts with the story of James Flint, one of the first English merchants to immerse himself in Canton, and the first diplomatic mission the Empire of China. The author describes the exchange of goods between the British envoy and the Emperor's emissaries and the items included by the British to impress the Chinese with their modernity. Needless to say the first diplomatic mission to China was a failure, from matters of etiquette, to lack of interest in gifts presents that led to obstinacy for changes of trade protocols to favor the English, which was the goal of the diplomatic mission. The author moves on to describe Canton in the early 19th century, how trade was organized around monopoly power of the East India Company, the role of Chinese officials in regulating business as well as how corruption existed. The author discusses the institutional decay in the Qing dynasty with Qianlong and the rampant corruption towards the end of his reign with mass theft by the officials. The author describes the journey of Thomas Manning, the first Englishman to meet the Dalia Lama and see Tibet. The author combines history with travel log and gives a lot of background to the first real sinologists from England, including Barrow and Staunton among others. The second part of the book focuses on when the opium volumes grew substantially and depletion of silver became a larger concern. The author gives the history of the Tai Pans as well with a focus on Jardine & Matheson. The author also spends time discussing the dynamics of the opium trade including where it was grown, how it was shipped, how it was practically regulated in China and how that changed over time as the emperor took an increasingly hard line. The author also spends time discussing the ambitions of Great Britain and the pinnacle trade was put on as a national ambition and as a consequence some of the politics involved from the English side. In the third part of the book the author describes the political change occurring in England that led to the desire for greater competition and with it, the dissolving of the monopoly rights of the East India Company. The author describes the power vacuum that partially was created and the lack of coordinated diplomatic mediums to bridge the gap that was created. The author gives the story of George Elliot who was sent over as a national representative to both control British citizenry but also help represent British rights. The author details the sequence of events and complete overreactions on the part of the English that eventually led to armed conflict. It portrays the events as more misunderstanding and errors than vicious imperialism. The record in parliament does show that to be somewhat true. The author also puts blame on the foreign secretary for aspects of the militarism that took over and eventually became all that is remembered.The book focuses largely on events prior to the Opium War with a focus on the British in Canton. The author also spends time discussing the Chinese system at the time, the decay of control by the emperor and the corruption in the system. If one wants a history of events leading up to the Opium War from 1790-1840 with a focus on the dynamics between Great Britain and China, this is very readable and entertaining. It doesn't focus on the unequal treaty and events from the middle of the 19th century onwards. but its highly readable for those interested in events prior to the unequal treaties.
A truly impressive history that scholars and the general public alike can enjoy and learn from. Platt's new research adds many layers of understanding to our knowledge of this important period in East-West relations. And his strong focus on the individuals who helped bring about and participated in the Opium War -- with their flaws, complexity, virtues and beliefs -- reaffirms the notion that we are all agents in the making of history, not just victims of social trends and economic forces. As a historian myself (though of Europe, not China), what I admire most about this book is the beautiful writing style -- both clear and precise, conversational yet elegant, and generously peppered with irony and humor (qualities that are essential to the serious study of history, I believe). History is a discipline that tends to produce good writers, but Platt is exceptional in this regard. He is proof that the writing of history, when well done, accurately reflects the gripping human drama that makes up our common past.
the British grew opium in Bengals and imported into China in around 1830... and got Chinese addicted. The book has been well researched and is well written. What a nerve we had in those days. Glory to the few British citizens who opposed it. Books like this are very useful, so is the observation of the dominance of the minority Manchu who ruled China. No wonder that China ended up communist.....
Mr. Platt avoids reducing this tragic war to a simple cause, and shows how it resulted over decades, through the various personalities and purposes of a wide variety of actors. However, after sifting through all of that, he does put his finger on the duplicitous greed of a few evil men.
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