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The Opium War
1839. Trade is the stalwart of the British Empire. China threatens Britain’s Opium trade. Britain and China go to war.
When Britain sent troops to compel the Chinese to accept imports of opium, they opened what is argued to be one of the most disgraceful chapters in the history of the Empire.
How did the situation arise? How did opium exports become so crucial to the British economy? How did the British come to be as addicted to opium revenue as the Chinese were to the drug itself?
Brian Inglis gives the answers to these and other questions in this meticulously researched study of The Opium War . Shocking, shaming, but fascinating throughout.
‘Inglis has given us a brisk, lucid and detailed account’ – Philip Mason, The Spectator
‘Scholarly and very readable’ - The Listener
‘A searching examination of one incident in our chequered history which even dyed-in-the-wool Britons will find hard to defend’ - Yorkshire Post
Brian Inglis was an Irish journalist, historian and TV presenter. He was popularly known in Britain as the presenter for All Our Yesterdays. His publications covered a range of topics, including biographies, medicine and the paranormal. Other books by Inglis include The Forbidden Game: A Social History of Drugs and The Story of Ireland , amongst many others.
When Britain sent troops to compel the Chinese to accept imports of opium, they opened what is argued to be one of the most disgraceful chapters in the history of the Empire.
How did the situation arise? How did opium exports become so crucial to the British economy? How did the British come to be as addicted to opium revenue as the Chinese were to the drug itself?
Brian Inglis gives the answers to these and other questions in this meticulously researched study of The Opium War . Shocking, shaming, but fascinating throughout.
‘Inglis has given us a brisk, lucid and detailed account’ – Philip Mason, The Spectator
‘Scholarly and very readable’ - The Listener
‘A searching examination of one incident in our chequered history which even dyed-in-the-wool Britons will find hard to defend’ - Yorkshire Post
Brian Inglis was an Irish journalist, historian and TV presenter. He was popularly known in Britain as the presenter for All Our Yesterdays. His publications covered a range of topics, including biographies, medicine and the paranormal. Other books by Inglis include The Forbidden Game: A Social History of Drugs and The Story of Ireland , amongst many others.
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 4, 2018
If the topic is interesting and certainly unknown to many, the Opium Wars might not derserve a 250 pages book to be dealt with.
As honest Brian Inglis might be laying bare the amorality of those involved, as boring he is in his long and meticulous narration. He chronogically details every minor event in an unfocused manner and it finally becomes somewhat confusing and I rapidly lost interest.
Not that much happened to begin with. The term “war” seems rather glorified considering the minor skirmishes that took place. The whole affair is mainly driven by greed, lack of scruples and whatnot. A few shots exchanged, Britain gets Hong Kong on lease, end of story.
Enough for a wiki, not a book.
As honest Brian Inglis might be laying bare the amorality of those involved, as boring he is in his long and meticulous narration. He chronogically details every minor event in an unfocused manner and it finally becomes somewhat confusing and I rapidly lost interest.
Not that much happened to begin with. The term “war” seems rather glorified considering the minor skirmishes that took place. The whole affair is mainly driven by greed, lack of scruples and whatnot. A few shots exchanged, Britain gets Hong Kong on lease, end of story.
Enough for a wiki, not a book.
September 3, 2017
A well written economic, and political history of the early 19th century, British commercial relationship with China, which led to the very brief but very consequential Opium War.
February 22, 2020
Really interesting book that is well written and easy to read. It is definitely a book that puts to bed the idea that the British empire was a force for food, not only in terms of the treatment of China but the damage done to India.
July 26, 2021
Brian Inglis appears to be a fascinating character, an Anglo-Irish historian and journalist with a deep interest in psychic phenomenon and alternative medicine. His estate, he died in 1997, has made many of his books available on Kindle Unlimited, and at the price of "free" I decided to take a chance.
The Opium War is one of the darker moments in Britain's imperial history, and seeing the military aspects as tedious due to Britain's massive military superiority, Inglis chooses to focus on the politics. In the early 19th century, India was ruled by the English East India Company, which due to decades of exploitative mismanagement was had impoverished the land. Meanwhile, rising English demand for tea, and lack of demand for British manufactured goods in China, presented a problem. The only British good, aside from silver itself, that could be traded was opium. The EIC established an opium monopoly, turning the best agricultural land in India into poppy plantations, and then through a shifting series of private smugglers, proceeded to send the goods into China through the port of Canton. As addictioned turned to an epidemic, Chinese authorities responded by cracking down on the trade, destroying millions of pounds of opium in a mass seizure. This provided the impetus for the war itself, which England handily won.
Inglis is no Dalrymple, and this tale of colonialism gone wrong is dry and somewhat confusing. The best parts are the acid irony by which English authorities use the novel theories of political economy developed by Smith and Ricardo to justify a government monopoly on the production of opium, and also the free trade absolutism which prohibited any Chinese restrictions on the dangerous drug. Goose and gander etc. The last chapter of analysis is worth the book, but it's a long road there.
The Opium War is one of the darker moments in Britain's imperial history, and seeing the military aspects as tedious due to Britain's massive military superiority, Inglis chooses to focus on the politics. In the early 19th century, India was ruled by the English East India Company, which due to decades of exploitative mismanagement was had impoverished the land. Meanwhile, rising English demand for tea, and lack of demand for British manufactured goods in China, presented a problem. The only British good, aside from silver itself, that could be traded was opium. The EIC established an opium monopoly, turning the best agricultural land in India into poppy plantations, and then through a shifting series of private smugglers, proceeded to send the goods into China through the port of Canton. As addictioned turned to an epidemic, Chinese authorities responded by cracking down on the trade, destroying millions of pounds of opium in a mass seizure. This provided the impetus for the war itself, which England handily won.
Inglis is no Dalrymple, and this tale of colonialism gone wrong is dry and somewhat confusing. The best parts are the acid irony by which English authorities use the novel theories of political economy developed by Smith and Ricardo to justify a government monopoly on the production of opium, and also the free trade absolutism which prohibited any Chinese restrictions on the dangerous drug. Goose and gander etc. The last chapter of analysis is worth the book, but it's a long road there.
December 8, 2017
Very hard to read. I gave up about half way through.
November 1, 2021
The Opium War tells about the First Opium War between British and Qing dynasty of China that erupted in 1839-1842. It sets out a detailed of British exploits in India that had a direct bearing on the export of opium to China. British Parliament also played their role that led to British waging war on China. The war concluded by the Treaty of Nanking in 1842 that resulted in Hong Kong being handed over to the British.
We can see that the war broke out due to the British wanting to dominate the economy and trade in the far east. British branch in the far east, the East India Company are responsible for controlling the economy and managing all the processes of importing opium into China. In brief, this book is about economy, business, monopoly and policy making. Personally, I think this book is well-written as it is written in chronological order from the early 18th century until the war erupts.
Even though this book is well-written, most of the contents of this book discuss the event from a British perspective. Too little discussion from the Chinese perspective. This makes the book unbalanced of historical value. I'm very uninterested on how this book is written that combines facts and actual speeches without paraphrasing it. At some point, I can trace some redundant and draggy issues.
Overall, if you can endure with the inconsistent descriptions, then this book is for you. If you want to know about what really happen before the war, then this book is for you.
We can see that the war broke out due to the British wanting to dominate the economy and trade in the far east. British branch in the far east, the East India Company are responsible for controlling the economy and managing all the processes of importing opium into China. In brief, this book is about economy, business, monopoly and policy making. Personally, I think this book is well-written as it is written in chronological order from the early 18th century until the war erupts.
Even though this book is well-written, most of the contents of this book discuss the event from a British perspective. Too little discussion from the Chinese perspective. This makes the book unbalanced of historical value. I'm very uninterested on how this book is written that combines facts and actual speeches without paraphrasing it. At some point, I can trace some redundant and draggy issues.
Overall, if you can endure with the inconsistent descriptions, then this book is for you. If you want to know about what really happen before the war, then this book is for you.
June 3, 2024
Not as accessible to the general reader as I had hoped.
I wish Inglis had presented fuller excerpts from the many sources he mentions, such as letters by the various British officials published much later, and the pamphlets that educated the public at the time. It would have given this book a feeling of immediacy that would have improved it.
At times, it seems to assume some previous acquaintance with the subject. I found it particularly odd that he would give the full name of an official in passing, yet that person never comes up again. The name seems to be given just because it is recorded in the source and is being given for history readers who might be cross referencing or name checking, but it does not serve the narrative if you are a casual reader.
But there is nothing that is a huge obstacle to casual reading. The story is fascinating. I am interested in reading someone else's take on the subject.
I wish Inglis had presented fuller excerpts from the many sources he mentions, such as letters by the various British officials published much later, and the pamphlets that educated the public at the time. It would have given this book a feeling of immediacy that would have improved it.
At times, it seems to assume some previous acquaintance with the subject. I found it particularly odd that he would give the full name of an official in passing, yet that person never comes up again. The name seems to be given just because it is recorded in the source and is being given for history readers who might be cross referencing or name checking, but it does not serve the narrative if you are a casual reader.
But there is nothing that is a huge obstacle to casual reading. The story is fascinating. I am interested in reading someone else's take on the subject.
February 24, 2022
It was hardly a war, but the story of how the British developed and exploited the use of opium from India into China, and profited from it, was startling to this reader, who knew almost nothing about this history before reading the book. Also the semi-governmental character of the Far East India Company was unknown to me. For its revelations the book was well worth reading. However, the writing is equivalent to a government paper, by which I mean it is exceedingly boring. The details are overwhelming and none of the the characters spring to life. Very tedious and confusing recitation of an interesting and revealing story. I hope somewhere there is a more colorful version.
December 2, 2020
A very detailed account
A pretty fair handed and detailed account of how the British forced opium on China. As others have mentioned, parts haven’t aged well and it feels a little condescending at times, but still worth a read if you have an interest in the stuff they don’t teach in British history classes.
A pretty fair handed and detailed account of how the British forced opium on China. As others have mentioned, parts haven’t aged well and it feels a little condescending at times, but still worth a read if you have an interest in the stuff they don’t teach in British history classes.
November 13, 2017
Didn't know a lot about the Opium Wars, so thought this book would be a good introduction. It hasn't aged well, but provided a solid overview of the origins of the conflict, and the economic/political conditions that escalated the crisis.
June 6, 2018
An interesting read
The book is interesting and factually accurate. Students or history lovers will find this useful. Although it is well written the author can be a little dry at times.
The book is interesting and factually accurate. Students or history lovers will find this useful. Although it is well written the author can be a little dry at times.
June 15, 2023
I read about opium history, where the Opium War was mentioned so I wanted to learn more. This book describes the economic and political history of 19th century British commercial relationship with China, leading to the Opium War. I would give it 3,6 because of the way it is written - sometimes was boring and hard to follow. But I really liked the very sober look of it, digging in details about the greed and real reasons for the war, trying to look at different sides of it.
The reason for the Opium War seems to be tea. Since Chinese had very low demand for British goods, Brits needed to sell something to the Chinese in order to get cash to purchase Chinese tea, which turned out to be opium. But it could have been as well any other good. And in turn tea can be heavily taxed in Britain, bringing quite a bit of tax revenue for the government. It is all about the money :)
Normally demand creates supply but with illegal drugs it’s often the availability of the supply that creates the demand. The reason is that the profit margins are so great that it is worth to push the product in order to increase the number of potential customers, that they would not be able or be bothered to do if the profit margin was small.
Theoretically the East India Company ran India but itself was still controlled by its shareholders, who had no interest in prospects of the country but just to secure their fixed dividends. The company claimed that it has no part in the opium trade while in fact controlling it. Government, company and council were all part of the conspiracy to deceive. It is doubtful whether the company would have been able to successfully maintain the deception have it not been the assistance of political economy. Political economy was also used to justify the methods used to keep down the price the council paid to the producers of opium.
What was vital, was to keep the opium supply line open, to keep the administration in India solvent and to pay for China’s tea. In a sense it was really the tea war. To the British people tea has become a necessity in life and to the treasury no less essential - as the revenue from tea duty brought in revenue that was roughly 2/3 of the cost of maintaining the entire civil establishment including the crown. A revenue raised with greater facility and certainty, and with less pressure on the people than is the case with any other tax of equal amount. The fact that the opium, Chinese liked to smoke, came only from India and that smokers became so dependent on it, that they were prepared to pay heavily for its supply even at risk of their life (Chinese emperor tried harsh methods in order to eradicate opium). And only an addictive drug can be marketed at a price high enough to provide the company with 300-500% profit margins. Without opium’s competition, the state of legitimate trade through Canton would have been healthier. The opium trade undermined the commerce of Britain with China.
In conclusion, the most fertile land in India had not been used to produce what is the most beneficial to man. The effect of the war was to ensure that the best land will continue to be used to grow poppy, that more land will continue to be appropriated for that purpose and that the price paid for opium will remain low. As lord Ashley said: we have triumphed in one of the most lawless, unnecessary and unfair struggles in the records of history. The peace is as wicked as the war.
And all of it was for money and profits.
The reason for the Opium War seems to be tea. Since Chinese had very low demand for British goods, Brits needed to sell something to the Chinese in order to get cash to purchase Chinese tea, which turned out to be opium. But it could have been as well any other good. And in turn tea can be heavily taxed in Britain, bringing quite a bit of tax revenue for the government. It is all about the money :)
Normally demand creates supply but with illegal drugs it’s often the availability of the supply that creates the demand. The reason is that the profit margins are so great that it is worth to push the product in order to increase the number of potential customers, that they would not be able or be bothered to do if the profit margin was small.
Theoretically the East India Company ran India but itself was still controlled by its shareholders, who had no interest in prospects of the country but just to secure their fixed dividends. The company claimed that it has no part in the opium trade while in fact controlling it. Government, company and council were all part of the conspiracy to deceive. It is doubtful whether the company would have been able to successfully maintain the deception have it not been the assistance of political economy. Political economy was also used to justify the methods used to keep down the price the council paid to the producers of opium.
What was vital, was to keep the opium supply line open, to keep the administration in India solvent and to pay for China’s tea. In a sense it was really the tea war. To the British people tea has become a necessity in life and to the treasury no less essential - as the revenue from tea duty brought in revenue that was roughly 2/3 of the cost of maintaining the entire civil establishment including the crown. A revenue raised with greater facility and certainty, and with less pressure on the people than is the case with any other tax of equal amount. The fact that the opium, Chinese liked to smoke, came only from India and that smokers became so dependent on it, that they were prepared to pay heavily for its supply even at risk of their life (Chinese emperor tried harsh methods in order to eradicate opium). And only an addictive drug can be marketed at a price high enough to provide the company with 300-500% profit margins. Without opium’s competition, the state of legitimate trade through Canton would have been healthier. The opium trade undermined the commerce of Britain with China.
In conclusion, the most fertile land in India had not been used to produce what is the most beneficial to man. The effect of the war was to ensure that the best land will continue to be used to grow poppy, that more land will continue to be appropriated for that purpose and that the price paid for opium will remain low. As lord Ashley said: we have triumphed in one of the most lawless, unnecessary and unfair struggles in the records of history. The peace is as wicked as the war.
And all of it was for money and profits.
January 1, 2021
Interesting take on a discussion about trade and commerce between the British Empire’s crown jewel India , and China , during the early 19th century. India was rigged up as a private enterprise administered by the East India Company (EIC), which was a private monopoly set up by the British Government to extract revenue fir “The Crown” . From the late 18th century until 1830, EIC, held a monopoly on production, transport and marketing Opium to China. The “Mandarins “ ( Chinese Oligarchs) took their “cut” off of “squeeze”(bribes) paid by the EIC and British and Chinese (Hong) merchants in Canton . It was a convenient acceptable agreement. The EIC “supracargos” acted as combination revenue agents , tax collectors, enforcement officials; always wary of smugglers.
After 1830, the EIC export business expanded , allowing “country ships” (ships sailing under different flags transporting EIC cargo) and expanding their resource base from Bengal , east to Manipur region , by force ( Bangladesh), which opened up more ports .
The author went into great detail and minutiae, describing the give and go between EIC, merchants and British Government. Merchants had lobbyists , Government officials were stock holders, etc . The author also described the vertical relationship of the EIC to the British Government as opposed to the horizontal relationship between merchants, share holders, Mandarins and EIC. The government could “pass the buck” down to the EIC as EIC could plea, it was just following orders.
Succinctly, The British needed revenue to compensate for all the Chinese Tea they were paying for and consuming . The Chinese were happy to provide their produce to Britain, but unwilling and uninterested in trading fir British Merchandise.
So Britain Forced China’s hand.
The later chapters also give examples of how the theory of Political Economy was used to British benefit and ignored to China’s detriment.
All in all, it was slow reading in the beginning and halfway through, I got used to the author’s style, and method. The last couple of chapters pulled it all together.
There are several parallels one can point to between then and now. The recent farmers revolt in India last month, the current “ChinaGate” propaganda, and the way the USA is handling Afghanistan with 90% of the world’s Heroin supply. Very interesting; how much the USA learned from the British and us repeating the same mistakes.
After 1830, the EIC export business expanded , allowing “country ships” (ships sailing under different flags transporting EIC cargo) and expanding their resource base from Bengal , east to Manipur region , by force ( Bangladesh), which opened up more ports .
The author went into great detail and minutiae, describing the give and go between EIC, merchants and British Government. Merchants had lobbyists , Government officials were stock holders, etc . The author also described the vertical relationship of the EIC to the British Government as opposed to the horizontal relationship between merchants, share holders, Mandarins and EIC. The government could “pass the buck” down to the EIC as EIC could plea, it was just following orders.
Succinctly, The British needed revenue to compensate for all the Chinese Tea they were paying for and consuming . The Chinese were happy to provide their produce to Britain, but unwilling and uninterested in trading fir British Merchandise.
So Britain Forced China’s hand.
The later chapters also give examples of how the theory of Political Economy was used to British benefit and ignored to China’s detriment.
All in all, it was slow reading in the beginning and halfway through, I got used to the author’s style, and method. The last couple of chapters pulled it all together.
There are several parallels one can point to between then and now. The recent farmers revolt in India last month, the current “ChinaGate” propaganda, and the way the USA is handling Afghanistan with 90% of the world’s Heroin supply. Very interesting; how much the USA learned from the British and us repeating the same mistakes.
July 4, 2025
The historical and contemporary interplay of geopolitical dynamics, economic interests, and sociocultural influences in Hong Kong is intricately interwoven with the legacies of opium monoculture, colonialism, and the British oligarchs, including pre-liberation Shanghai runaways. This geopolitical milieu persists in shaping the city's unique status as a free port under the extension of the UK capital interest, often termed the "One Country, Two Systems" framework.
The United Kingdom was the most influential country on China until 1928, when China fully turned against Japan as a national enemy. It is imperative to acknowledge that during British rule in Hong Kong, the city functioned as the global epicenter of the slave trade. Kuli, a Chinese enslaved individual, was sold to the Western and Southern colonies prior to the rise of Macau as a Portuguese colony and the subsequent shift in the slave trade center to that region.
The aforementioned elements should collectively comprise a trinity, with each point representing a distinct aspect of concern: 1) the cultivation of opium, accompanied by the attendant corruption and distribution via triad networks; 2) the existence of slave trades, encompassing all forms of human trafficking; and 3) the facilitation of weapons trades. Jardine, the preeminent representative of the British oligarchy, has maintained a long-standing presence in this city since the Opium War period. Consequently, the study of the Opium War provides a lens to contemporary social issues concerning Fragrant Port.
The United Kingdom was the most influential country on China until 1928, when China fully turned against Japan as a national enemy. It is imperative to acknowledge that during British rule in Hong Kong, the city functioned as the global epicenter of the slave trade. Kuli, a Chinese enslaved individual, was sold to the Western and Southern colonies prior to the rise of Macau as a Portuguese colony and the subsequent shift in the slave trade center to that region.
The aforementioned elements should collectively comprise a trinity, with each point representing a distinct aspect of concern: 1) the cultivation of opium, accompanied by the attendant corruption and distribution via triad networks; 2) the existence of slave trades, encompassing all forms of human trafficking; and 3) the facilitation of weapons trades. Jardine, the preeminent representative of the British oligarchy, has maintained a long-standing presence in this city since the Opium War period. Consequently, the study of the Opium War provides a lens to contemporary social issues concerning Fragrant Port.
October 30, 2025
I was expecting more dude did this and big boom war happens. I got more legislation and legislation and legislation and dudes misinterpreting legislation on purpose to make money.
England likes money. they sell addictive drug because money. china doesn't like drug so inputs laws to prohibit drug. England is concerned about the morality of selling drug and international perception of selling drug so they input vague laws that can be skirted around because Eat India Trading Company runs india and is a company and is such not bound by the same moral parameters that a normal government would be. England doesn't like that they dont have money. they twist into pretzels trying to justify and skirt around the moral and legal parameters to make money. china blows up drug port. England comfortably obliterates china. back to laws and pumping drug into china
England likes money. they sell addictive drug because money. china doesn't like drug so inputs laws to prohibit drug. England is concerned about the morality of selling drug and international perception of selling drug so they input vague laws that can be skirted around because Eat India Trading Company runs india and is a company and is such not bound by the same moral parameters that a normal government would be. England doesn't like that they dont have money. they twist into pretzels trying to justify and skirt around the moral and legal parameters to make money. china blows up drug port. England comfortably obliterates china. back to laws and pumping drug into china
October 6, 2021
(Audiobook) This is a relatively older work that discusses how the British manipulated the Chinese government through economic and military coercion into "opening" up the country to Western trade and influence. The bulk of the work focuses on the British political and economic actions. It does not put the British in a good light, which even in 1979 the author realizes. Yet, the Chinese are not without blame, as their arrogance and lack of understanding about the threat the British posed to their forces and country did not get taken seriously.
A decent read, but maybe not one that you revisit all that often.
A decent read, but maybe not one that you revisit all that often.
January 19, 2025
A thoroughly researched and detailed account of the Opium War.
The book covers the expansion of the East India Company through Bengal, it's governance and eventual reliance on Opium for revenue. It then looks at the attempted trade with China, then smuggling, then the conflict. The book also details the governance and political conflict in India.
It was very interesting and could serve as a wonderful reference. That said another book with less detail and more analysis would be useful to accompany this text.
A strong recommendation for someone who wishes to learn about early 1800s India, China Nd Britain. The only not if caution is that it is not an easy read despite it's length.
The book covers the expansion of the East India Company through Bengal, it's governance and eventual reliance on Opium for revenue. It then looks at the attempted trade with China, then smuggling, then the conflict. The book also details the governance and political conflict in India.
It was very interesting and could serve as a wonderful reference. That said another book with less detail and more analysis would be useful to accompany this text.
A strong recommendation for someone who wishes to learn about early 1800s India, China Nd Britain. The only not if caution is that it is not an easy read despite it's length.
October 25, 2020
A pretty good recounting of an overlooked conflict. Despite the name, The Opium War is really more about the causes of the war and its impacts afterward. So not much actual war. But a lot of economics and British foreign policy and the doings of the British East India Company.
The book assumes you know quite a bit of the history of the EIC - especially in India and its relations with China. As such, it cannot be not recommended unless you do. However, if you have some of that knowledge, it is a very interesting read.
The book assumes you know quite a bit of the history of the EIC - especially in India and its relations with China. As such, it cannot be not recommended unless you do. However, if you have some of that knowledge, it is a very interesting read.
March 11, 2022
A 2017 reissue of a book first published in 1976, this is a graphic account of the story of the opium trade and how it lead to war with China. Clear and concise, a masterful prose style. While what the British did was reprehensible, no mention is made of the fact that the Chinese were happily reselling the stuff into the rest of South East Asia and creating the same misery there experienced in China
July 6, 2023
This is a very laborious detailing of the British (them again) getting Chinese hooked on Indian opium, screwing over everyone, and having a sort of a war. The detailing is painstaking and painful. Brian inglis has taken a lot of efforts at understanding and documenting all the build up to the opium wars, but a story teller he is not. I don’t know if there are other books on the subject, but this book is not a great way to get introduced to it.
May 29, 2024
The Good: An excellent account of the drug trade in the late 18th century and early 19th century discreetly introduced by the British in China. The power of addiction increased the demand for opium.
The Bad: The fall of the great Chinese civilization through drugs. The pressure to increase revenue by whatever means, however, illegitimate, led to a corrupt of morals among the British. A terribly underrated book.
The Bad: The fall of the great Chinese civilization through drugs. The pressure to increase revenue by whatever means, however, illegitimate, led to a corrupt of morals among the British. A terribly underrated book.
February 22, 2025
This was a real struggle and in fairness the book seems factually correct (although i have little knowledge of the subject) but this is a book for a scholar of the War we get lists of directors and men working for the company. The complex issue of the economics Tax land or Tax Revenue or Licence exports all while huge areas of India were being destroyed by poor management and immoral practices.
I did not finish (75%) the book but i really do not think it was a book written for me.
I did not finish (75%) the book but i really do not think it was a book written for me.
September 21, 2020
Te Opium War
Este es un excelente libro que de manera didáctica reafirma lo que fue la política expansionista de los ingleses en que no les interesó el destino de la población a que sometían.
Este es un excelente libro que de manera didáctica reafirma lo que fue la política expansionista de los ingleses en que no les interesó el destino de la población a que sometían.
March 16, 2022
History of deception
I made many trips to Hong Kong. During one of those trips, I visited a museum that had an entire section devoted to the history of the opium trade. After reading this book, I can see why this episode is still painful to the Chinese.
I made many trips to Hong Kong. During one of those trips, I visited a museum that had an entire section devoted to the history of the opium trade. After reading this book, I can see why this episode is still painful to the Chinese.
March 15, 2025
Opened my eyes to the depraved choices (some of many) of the British Empire. I now cringe when read opinion pieces about how much of a shame it is that Hong Kong had to be returned to China.
I liked how it was narrated (I listened to the audiobook)
I liked how it was narrated (I listened to the audiobook)
May 26, 2021
Detailed and informative, albeit there's been more scholarship since, about one of Britain's most shameful colonial moments.
June 4, 2022
From today's point of view it seems scarcely believable that such atrocious goings on actually occurred. Oh dear.
July 30, 2022
riveting
There is no difference between the Colombian cocaine cartel and the British opium cartel except that the opium cartel was more violent
There is no difference between the Colombian cocaine cartel and the British opium cartel except that the opium cartel was more violent
March 29, 2023
Informative, I had no idea about the cause of this.
July 29, 2023
Very hard to read. Most of the book is just a collection of minor events told in a very detail account, that's difficult to track. Very little analysis on the conflict itself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews