Synopsis
‘A gripping read as well as an important one’ Rana Mitter, The Guardian
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...
Details
12 March 2026512 pages
9781035091324Imprint: Picador
Reviews
A gripping read as well as an important oneRana Mitter, Guardian
Lively, erudite and meticulously researchedLiterary Review
An important reminder of how the memory of the Opium War continues to cast a dark shadowSunday Times
