Ebook Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age, by Stephen R. Platt
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Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age, by Stephen R. Platt
Ebook Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age, by Stephen R. Platt
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Review
"[A] superb history... Platt has written an enthralling account of the run-up to war between Britain and China during a century in which wealth and power were shifting inexorably from East to West... Imperial Twilight is a masterpiece of the "If Only" school of history, which holds out the tantalizing prospect of a world that, with the right choices, could be made perfect. —Ian Morris, The New York Times Book Review"Excellent... A beautifully written and expert account of western aggression in 19th-century China... Platt writes beautifully, with a novelist's eye for detail. He skilfully weaves through the book a cast of eccentric characters."—Julia Lovell, The Guardian"Masterly . . . [Platt's] book is important reading not only for those interested in China's history but also for anyone seeking to understand the explosive intersection between trade and politics today."—Julian Gewirtz, The Wall Street Journal"A fast-paced story that focuses on the individuals who made the history... Wonderful... For many years, [The Opium War] was explained not as a war waged by a nation on behalf of its druglords but as a necessary evil designed to open up a country that had cussedly closed itself off to the benefits of interaction with the 'civilized' world... Platt's book upends these stereotypes."—John Pomfret, The Washington Post"Everyone with experience in China has heard about the legacy of the Opium War and subsequent ‘Century of Humiliation.’ But Stephen Platt presents the buildup to this confrontation in a vivid and fascinating way, which challenges many prevailing assumptions in both China and the West (including some of my own). This is narrative and analytic history of a high order, which will be read with enjoyment by audiences around the world.” —James Fallows, author of Our Towns and China Airborne"A vivid picture of the history of relations between Britain and China from the mid-18th century up to the outbreak of the war... This thoroughly researched and delightful work is essential for anyone interested in Chinese or British imperial history." —Joshua Wallace, Library Journal (Starred Review)"Clear writing and an excellent sense of story and scene-setting mark Platt's compelling reexamination of the causes of the First Opium War... Platt brings to life the people who drive the story, including the missionaries desperate to learn more about China and its language, the drug smugglers who made so much money they still have name recognition, the officials desperate to handle a growing crisis of widespread opium addiction, and even a pirate queen and Jane Austen's older brother. Platt's vivid and compelling major reassessment will shift our understanding of the First Opium War."—Jennifer Rothschild, Booklist (Starred Review) "A deeply researched study of an early clash of civilizations, when England attempted to impose its will on East Asia… A fluent, well-written exercise in revisionism, one of interest to students of modern geopolitics as well as 19th-century history." —Kirkus "A fresh perspective on the first Opium War, the conflict that allowed Western merchants to pry open China’s riches and gain unprecedented trading privileges… Platt's research is impeccably presented in this winning history of British and Chinese trade." —Publishers Weekly"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, The Spectator (U.K.)"Charming... Meticulously researched... A rich and finely balanced account of how Britain and China came to blows."—John Keay, Literary Review (U.K.)"With a great canvas to play upon and vivid Western and Chinese sources into which to dip his brush, Platt paints a superbly engaging portrait of Anglo-Chinese relations across five deeply consequential decades... Platt's talent for rich detail offers both entertainment...and unease as we head towards 1839, and find that international relations turn less on cultural misunderstanding than on what well-informed people decide to do with what they know."—Christopher Harding, The Daily Telegraph (U.K.)
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About the Author
STEPHEN R. PLATT is a professor of Chinese history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His last book, Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War, was a Washington Post Notable Book, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, and won the Cundill History Prize. Platt lives with his wife and children in Northampton, Massachusetts.
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Product details
Hardcover: 592 pages
Publisher: Knopf; 1st Edition edition (May 15, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307961737
ISBN-13: 978-0307961730
Product Dimensions:
6.5 x 2 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.6 out of 5 stars
53 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#48,118 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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.
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