The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China

In October 1839, Britain entered the first Opium War with China. Its brutality notwithstanding, the conflict was also threaded with tragicomedy: with Victorian hypocrisy, bureaucratic fumblings, military missteps, political opportunism and collaboration. Yet over the past hundred and seventy years, this strange tale of misunderstanding, incompetence and compromise has become the founding episode of modern Chinese nationalism.

Starting from this first conflict, The Opium War explores how China's national myths mould its interactions with the outside world, how public memory is spun to serve the present, and how delusion and prejudice have bedevilled its relationship with the modern West.

"Lively, erudite and meticulously researched" Literary Review

About the author

Julia Lovell

Product details

• Authors: Julia Lovell, Lovell Julia
• Publisher: Picador Uk
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: from age 18
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 31.05.2012
• EAN: 9780330457484
• ISBN: 978-0-330-45748-4
• No. of pages: 456
• Dimensions: 130 mm x 197 mm x 32 mm
• Series: Picador
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Non-fiction book; China, Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, HISTORY / Military / General, HISTORY / Asia / China, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Asian History