Excellent Account of A Unique Island
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Frank Welsh writes of the economic, political, and social history of Hong Kong with great passion, humour and insight, from the original 'unequal' treaties with which Britain was able to lease the island from mainland China, through its expansion, to its return to Chinese control in 1997. Although he covers much ground - his discussion of the opium trade and the powerful Hongs are particularly interesting - the main thrust of the book concerns the administration of the island (and the administrators themselves), including the often uneasy relationship between Hong Kong and Great Britain. This natural emphasis on Western control, together with the use of mainly English-language sources leads to my only criticism of the book - that insufficient space is given to the Chinese perspective - both from the mainland and the Hong Kong Chinese. However, this remains a particularly interesting and important book, and proves excellent reading for academics and Sinophiles alike.
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