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China Bound: John Swire & Sons and Its World, 1816 – 1980
An unrivaled and comprehensive look at the 200-year story of Swire, a highly diversified, global group of companies including Cathay Pacific, with a rich and colorful history.
The Swire Group, started by John Swire in 1816, had its beginnings as a modest Liverpool import-export company, focused mainly on the textile trade. John Swire's sons, John Samuel (1825-1898) and William Hudson (1830-1884), took the firm overseas and it was John Samuel Swire in particular whose entrepreneurial instincts would be at the root of the firm's successes in years to come.
In 1861, John Swire & Sons Limited began to trade with China. In 1866, in partnership with R.S. Butterfield, the firm of Butterfield & Swire was established in Shanghai. Four years later, a branch of Butterfield & Swire was opened in Hong Kong.
In 1953, four years after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Butterfield & Swire closed all of its China offices. In 1974, Butterfield & Swire in Hong Kong was renamed John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd. Today, Swire is a highly diversified group of companies--covering shipping, airlines (including Cathay Pacific), luxury hotels and agribusiness--and continues to operate out of Hong Kong, with a formal group HQ in London.
This new book provides a detailed and intimate history of the company, researched and written by Robert Bickers, a Professor of History at the University of Bristol.
The Swire Group, started by John Swire in 1816, had its beginnings as a modest Liverpool import-export company, focused mainly on the textile trade. John Swire's sons, John Samuel (1825-1898) and William Hudson (1830-1884), took the firm overseas and it was John Samuel Swire in particular whose entrepreneurial instincts would be at the root of the firm's successes in years to come.
In 1861, John Swire & Sons Limited began to trade with China. In 1866, in partnership with R.S. Butterfield, the firm of Butterfield & Swire was established in Shanghai. Four years later, a branch of Butterfield & Swire was opened in Hong Kong.
In 1953, four years after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Butterfield & Swire closed all of its China offices. In 1974, Butterfield & Swire in Hong Kong was renamed John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd. Today, Swire is a highly diversified group of companies--covering shipping, airlines (including Cathay Pacific), luxury hotels and agribusiness--and continues to operate out of Hong Kong, with a formal group HQ in London.
This new book provides a detailed and intimate history of the company, researched and written by Robert Bickers, a Professor of History at the University of Bristol.
544 pages, Hardcover
Published May 5, 2020
About the author
Robert Bickers
15 books28 followersRobert Bickers is Professor of History and Director of the 'Historical Photographs of China' project at the University of Bristol.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 13, 2024
中文翻譯水平惡劣，言不達意，質素猶如google translate。不單人名前後不一，譯者也沒有使用華文圈常見的譯字，令人混淆。強烈建議讀原文版本。
June 6, 2025
英國東印度公司（英國政府持有期間）在瓦解時，利物浦憑藉著奴隸制度在大西洋貿易佔要角，可想而知，茶葉貿易這樣的熱錢會是利物浦商會圈想爭取的，可是，至今，都未有人直接找到太古集團會從利物浦來中國設公司的直接證據。
John Samuel Swire 因為父親的生意虧損，終其一生，從不曾有金錢債務，他選擇規模不大但穩定的商業模式，做進出口。其後，他的兩個兒子分別去過美國和澳洲。直到1964年，他們才投資海洋輪船公司OSSC藍煙囪，進軍中國貿易。
利物浦的商人，也還包括早期蘇格蘭商人，後來華的怡和商行為最大。香港的太古商行是在1870年五月才成立，其包括9名英國人和葡萄牙人、7名香港人、3名日本橫濱人，以及一群中國人。當時，它完全無法與怡和等其他商行較量，還很小。（待續）
John Samuel Swire 因為父親的生意虧損，終其一生，從不曾有金錢債務，他選擇規模不大但穩定的商業模式，做進出口。其後，他的兩個兒子分別去過美國和澳洲。直到1964年，他們才投資海洋輪船公司OSSC藍煙囪，進軍中國貿易。
利物浦的商人，也還包括早期蘇格蘭商人，後來華的怡和商行為最大。香港的太古商行是在1870年五月才成立，其包括9名英國人和葡萄牙人、7名香港人、3名日本橫濱人，以及一群中國人。當時，它完全無法與怡和等其他商行較量，還很小。（待續）
July 25, 2021
Good. Could have been better.
The history of Swire should have been more interesting. This book reads like a tribute to a great trading family written by a family member. It is long and dense and could easily have been 100 pages shorter.
The history of Swire should have been more interesting. This book reads like a tribute to a great trading family written by a family member. It is long and dense and could easily have been 100 pages shorter.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews