Imperial Twilight

The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age

By: Stephen R. Platt

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

As China reclaims its position as a world power, Imperial Twilight looks back to tell the story of the country’s last age of ascendance and how it came to an end in the nineteenth-century Opium War.

As one of the most potent turning points in the country’s modern history, the Opium War has since come to stand for everything that today’s China seeks to put behind it. In this dramatic, epic story, award-winning historian Stephen Platt sheds new light on the early attempts by Western traders and missionaries to “open” China even as China’s imperial rulers were struggling to manage their country’s decline and Confucian scholars grappled with how to use foreign trade to China’s advantage. The book paints an enduring portrait of an immensely profitable—and mostly peaceful—meeting of civilizations that was destined to be shattered by one of the most shockingly unjust wars in the annals of imperial history. Brimming with a fascinating cast of British, Chinese, and American characters, this riveting narrative of relations between China and the West has important implications for today’s uncertain and ever-changing political climate.

Terrific book of Sino-British history

Wonderful book chronicling the history of Sino-British relations leading up to the 18th and 19th centuries where Opium smuggling forced things to a head; ultimately leading to British military route of China and a forced opening of trade. A much nuanced story of interesting characters from Britain, China, and the US. The fault falls rather squarely on the Brits and other westerners, but Chinese obstinacy and lack of domestic control certainly played their parts.

Would love a follow-up edition covering the remainder of the 19th century up to the Chinese Revolution!

INTERESTING

This is an interesting book to read if you are interested in China and mainly the English, trying to dominate the Chinese and undoubtedly attempting to colonize China like they did in India and so many other countries. Their never ending quest.
There is actually very little about the opium war itself.
The story is very well told and narrated.
My thanks to all involved, JK.

In-depth and measured

Platt is an impressive historian, and I enjoyed his other book on the taiping rebellion. This is not quite as in depth about the opium war itself, but is a sturdy introduction to Anglo-Chinese relations before the war.

Excellent analysis of primary sources.

A thorough and Comprehensive history of the Opoien wars with supporting documents from both sides.

essential knowledge!

This book contains a portion of very interesting facts about the English (trade) connections with imperial China. It is a very difficult subject that needs a very delicate approach to be explained. and I must say : it does just that in excellent fashion. It also important in present day when China is taking a much more prominent place in the world order then it has done in the last 100 years. in other words this book is a gem for all those who are interested in the world and how things are and how they become this way.