China Hands and Old Cantons: Britons and the Middle Kingdom

During the First Opium War, British individuals in China created a vast collection of writings that provide valuable insights into the country and its people. John M. Carroll's book, "In China Hands and Old Cantons," explores these perspectives, highlighting the importance of firsthand experience in understanding China.

Format: Hardback
Length: 274 pages
Publication date: 12 October 2021
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Early interactions between Britain and China are most renowned for igniting the First Opium War. However, these encounters also resulted in a vast collection of writings by Britons who had spent time in China. Frustrated by the restrictions imposed by the Manchu rulers of the Qing Empire, and unable to reside or travel elsewhere apart from Canton and Macao, these diplomats, traders, missionaries, travelers, and military officers dedicated thousands of pages to gaining a deeper understanding of China, its people, and their civilization.

In China Hands and Old Cantons, John M. Carroll harnesses this rich trove of memoirs, ethnographic studies, travel accounts, narratives of military action, translations, and newspaper articles to explore the diverse and often insightful perspectives of Britons on China, long before the idea of war even crossed anyone's mind. They delved into almost every aspect of their observations, engaging in speculation about much that remained unseen, including the magnitude of China's vast population, the prevalence of infanticide, the origins and practices of foot binding, and the legality and morality of the opium trade. These individuals firmly asserted that only those who had firsthand experience in the Middle Kingdom could truly comprehend its essence, and they believed that their firsthand accounts and publications held an advantage over those in Britain and other parts of the world.

Through the words of those who lived through this seminal period in the Anglo-Chinese relationship, which revolved around tea and opium, Carroll vividly brings to life the experiences and insights of those who witnessed it firsthand.

Weight: 631g
Dimension: 226 x 164 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538157572