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The Opium Wars: The Addiction of One Empire and the Corruption of Another
Few events in the history of the international narcotics trade are more tragic than the Opium Wars that devastated China in the mid-nineteenth century. Between 1839 and 1860, Great Britain fought two fierce battles to force the opening of ports crucial to its importation of the drug into China. Britain relied on the imposed sale of opium to offset the trade imbalance created by the nation's seemingly unquenchable thirst for Chinese tea. The cost to China was staggering: tens of thousands dead, millions of dollars paid in war reparations, and as much as ten percent of the population addicted to the drug.
In The Opium Wars: The Addiction of One Empire and the Corruption of Another, W. Travis Hanes III, Ph.D. and Frank Sanello tell a vivid story of cultures in collision. Drawing on historical documents and firsthand accounts they recreate international events leading up to Britain's invasion of the Chinese mainland. They capture the chaos and turmoil of two decades of war that saw Britain's world-class armed forces engaging Chinese defenses still dependent on medieval weaponry and military strategies.
The Opium Wars were a public spectacle that played out in the international arena and involved a host of political dignitaries, including Queen Victoria, Prime Minister William Gladstone, and James Bruce, Lord Elgin. This stirring chronicle relates not only the stories of these well-known historical figures, but also the personal stories of civilians and soldiers on both sides who fought valiantly for their countries. As the authors show, the moral and commercial consequences of this all-but-forgotten upheaval in nineteenth-century history are still being felt in world politics today.
W. Travis Hanes III, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in British Imperial History from the University of Texas at Austin. He has served on the faculties of Southwestern University and Southwest Texas State University and is author of Imperial Diplomacy in the Era of Decolonization: The Sudan in Anglo-Egyptian Relations, 1945-1956.
Frank Sanello is a nationally syndicated columnist whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and other periodicals. He is the author of fifteen books, including the historical study The Knights Templar: God's Warriors, The Devil's Banker.
In The Opium Wars: The Addiction of One Empire and the Corruption of Another, W. Travis Hanes III, Ph.D. and Frank Sanello tell a vivid story of cultures in collision. Drawing on historical documents and firsthand accounts they recreate international events leading up to Britain's invasion of the Chinese mainland. They capture the chaos and turmoil of two decades of war that saw Britain's world-class armed forces engaging Chinese defenses still dependent on medieval weaponry and military strategies.
The Opium Wars were a public spectacle that played out in the international arena and involved a host of political dignitaries, including Queen Victoria, Prime Minister William Gladstone, and James Bruce, Lord Elgin. This stirring chronicle relates not only the stories of these well-known historical figures, but also the personal stories of civilians and soldiers on both sides who fought valiantly for their countries. As the authors show, the moral and commercial consequences of this all-but-forgotten upheaval in nineteenth-century history are still being felt in world politics today.
W. Travis Hanes III, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in British Imperial History from the University of Texas at Austin. He has served on the faculties of Southwestern University and Southwest Texas State University and is author of Imperial Diplomacy in the Era of Decolonization: The Sudan in Anglo-Egyptian Relations, 1945-1956.
Frank Sanello is a nationally syndicated columnist whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and other periodicals. He is the author of fifteen books, including the historical study The Knights Templar: God's Warriors, The Devil's Banker.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 2, 2011
A depressing example of how countries can justify to themselves their most self-serving and outrageous actions. The British trying to rectify a trade imbalance caused by the British "addiction" to Chinese tea, began to take opium from its Indian colony and sell it in China. The Emperor tried to ban the trade and the rest is, really, history. I'm sure most people don't know that Hong Kong was acquired by Britain as part of its monumentally unfair settlement with China after one of the two Opium Wars.
For another perspective on this history, see "For all the Tea in China" which focuses on the tea trade and its link to opium.
For another perspective on this history, see "For all the Tea in China" which focuses on the tea trade and its link to opium.
January 12, 2011
A very strong picture of how and why China and the West have never been able to "get along" and probably will never learn. Hanes takes you from the building blocks of the conflicts, back to the early 1790's and shows you the hubris of both sides of the conflicts. The world views of each of the nations involved was simply barbaric and would not be tolerated in this day and age.
The starts the book off with the best modern day "what if" example to show you how stupendous Britain was toward the Chinese emperor: What if the mexican drug cartels would fly to Washington D.C. and demand that every water port and every airport in the United States be open to drug cartel ships and planes, that cocaine be universally legalized, that the port city of Miami be ceded to the Mexican government, that the president of the United States be addicted to cocaine, and finally, any Mexican national can only be held to the laws of Mexico while expatriated in the United States.
I don't think that would go over too well with our government or our people.
This is the best example of what the British Empire was asking of the Chinese. But, don't get me wrong, the Chinese had there problems, too.
This book is a fine example of the abuse of European "moral authority" and hubris. This book should be read.
The starts the book off with the best modern day "what if" example to show you how stupendous Britain was toward the Chinese emperor: What if the mexican drug cartels would fly to Washington D.C. and demand that every water port and every airport in the United States be open to drug cartel ships and planes, that cocaine be universally legalized, that the port city of Miami be ceded to the Mexican government, that the president of the United States be addicted to cocaine, and finally, any Mexican national can only be held to the laws of Mexico while expatriated in the United States.
I don't think that would go over too well with our government or our people.
This is the best example of what the British Empire was asking of the Chinese. But, don't get me wrong, the Chinese had there problems, too.
This book is a fine example of the abuse of European "moral authority" and hubris. This book should be read.
Read
July 29, 2011The British had a problem. They were importing more from China than they were exporting to China. Since the Chinese preferred payment in silver, Her Majesty's saving account was loosing money at an alarming rate. Noting the Chinese liked their opium and the Empress of India had the means to provide hundreds of tons of it, the British encouraged the market to grow.
Some might say the solution to an international trade imbalance is to find a better product to sell. In the nineteenth century, the British solution was to drive sales of a pleasingly destructive drug with rifles and cannons.
If you think wars based on trade imbalances are a new idea, think again.
Some might say the solution to an international trade imbalance is to find a better product to sell. In the nineteenth century, the British solution was to drive sales of a pleasingly destructive drug with rifles and cannons.
If you think wars based on trade imbalances are a new idea, think again.
February 3, 2010
If you want to get a whole lot of information about the Opium Wars - this book is fantastic. For someone who is just looking for the basic knowledge and understanding... well then this is probably overkill. For being a blow by blow of each battle and every little significant happening of the wars, I think they did a great job of keeping it interesting. Truly, however, by the end I thought it was pretty redundant. What I really did like about it is that they kept it impressively unbiased. I definitely went back and forth about who the "good guys" were in the entire engagement - which surprised me since at the very beginning I assumed the whole book would make the British look evil and the Chinese look like victims. Obviously, there is more to it than that, and I think the book shows that.
Again, good if you really wnat to have a lot of info, but if you just want the basics than this one is not for you.
Again, good if you really wnat to have a lot of info, but if you just want the basics than this one is not for you.
May 7, 2008
This is a pretty clear, straightforward account of the Opium Wars. It doesnt have to exaggerate how evil the British were and how venal and incompetent the Manchu rulers of China were.If you want an insight into modern-day Chinese thinking you should read this book; this is how they think of us. This is basically the story of how a cash-strapped empire forced a corrupt and degenerate dynasty, hated by its subjects, to buy as much opium they could produce. When the Chinese protested the Brits brought in their fleet and proceeded to steal or destroy whatever they wanted. One of the greatest acts of artistic vandalism in human history was the sacking of the Emporer's Summer Place, a storehouse of artistic treasures.
The humiliation of this defeat is a large factor in the current Chinese view of the world. This book should be read by anyone interested in US-Chinese relations.
The humiliation of this defeat is a large factor in the current Chinese view of the world. This book should be read by anyone interested in US-Chinese relations.
January 12, 2016
An informative book, and highly detailed. It doesn't aim to set up heroes or villains, though I felt the authors went too soft on a few of the British figures. They might describe some person as "not racist," then quote him talking about "lesser races." Less racist than his colleagues, quite likely. But still racist.
The writing was adequate, except for several awkward turns of phrase, that I felt were the authors trying to be clever. Sticking to dry yet serviceable academic writing probably would have served them better.
The writing was adequate, except for several awkward turns of phrase, that I felt were the authors trying to be clever. Sticking to dry yet serviceable academic writing probably would have served them better.
November 2, 2017
Solid 4.5 stars An excellent look at a very depressing part of history often overlooked. The authors show how Britain overcame a massive trade deficit due to tea by selling massive quantities of opium to China, eventually fighting two wars to keep the trade open. The inability of both cultures to come to any compromise is sadly one of the most recurring issues in history. A very readable, fascinating book.
June 16, 2024
It’s rare that I find a book that will tell the story of the Opium Wars from both sides of the story, but this one delivers a compelling history of how the British Empire capitalised on the addiction of a nation and the ineptitude of its leaders.
That said there were other events prior to the Opium Wars which did serve to be a catalyst (though small it may have been) that wasn’t mentioned which I felt should have.
That said there were other events prior to the Opium Wars which did serve to be a catalyst (though small it may have been) that wasn’t mentioned which I felt should have.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2016
If I could give a zero I would. Not sure how this was published. If I wasn't getting paid to read it, I would've dropped it by page 50. Essentially unreadable. The sentences, the syntax, the structure all of it was a disaster zone. At best, there were tons of historical inconsistencies and, at worst, some of the information presented was just plain inaccurate. For example, referring to Napoleon the III just as Napoleon when Napoleon III was in power approx 4 decades later. Leaving the III off isn't a small detail. Also, the military timelines for both Napoleons were wayyyyyyy off. This is just one example. Just because it's marketed as pop-history doesn't mean it has the leeway to be inaccurate and poorly written.
All of that aside, it was a seriously one-sided portrayal of the conflict. If it advertised itself as an account of the British side of the wars, then the subtitle would be more representative of the book. In reality, the book provides a very superficial examination of the Chinese experience of the wars. It felt more like a list in prose form of military battles and how the British staged and prepared them. In that way, for a pop history book--it was mind-numbingly boring when it should've been at least a little juicy.
After googling and discovering that this was not in fact a product of self-publication, I was completely confounded.
All of that aside, it was a seriously one-sided portrayal of the conflict. If it advertised itself as an account of the British side of the wars, then the subtitle would be more representative of the book. In reality, the book provides a very superficial examination of the Chinese experience of the wars. It felt more like a list in prose form of military battles and how the British staged and prepared them. In that way, for a pop history book--it was mind-numbingly boring when it should've been at least a little juicy.
After googling and discovering that this was not in fact a product of self-publication, I was completely confounded.
September 1, 2009
How "the War Against Drugs" went for China in the mid-1800s. SPOILER ALERT: Opium 2, China 0. How the UK (with support from its friends, France and the USA) forced recalcitrant China (i) to eliminate pesky trade barriers to free trade, thereby making possible the introduction of hard-core drug addiction to the mass of the population of China, and (ii) to make available a safe, convenient port for the mass importation of same (i.e., Hong Kong). In the immortal words of John Lennon, "Instant karma gonna get you."
December 11, 2009
From the category of history that is as interesting as fiction and if you want to have a better understanding of why certain countries behave the way they do, then read about Britain and China and the 19th century and how Hong Kong became a British Territory.
August 29, 2011
A good, readable work on this nasty turn of events. The greed of the East India Company and the narrow-mindedness of the Chinese Emperor and his administrators is truly astounding. And to think Hong Kong was only recently "given back" was a result of its original ceding during these wars...
October 19, 2011
This book is a good primer on the relationship of China to the West and coldblooded business of geopolitics and money that always seems to surround them.
June 3, 2008
Very good nonfiction on the British and Chinese history of the 1800.
May 26, 2023
Words cannot describe how much I ended up hating this book. Where do I even start? Let’s start with this lovely description of one battle, ‘It was like watching housewives playing tug-of-war with marked down clothing in the bargain basement of a department store.’
Yes, this is really a quote from this book. Now, let’s get on to more egregious matters. For some reason, well, obvious reasons, the author’s descriptions of events were atrocious. Summed up, the Opium Wars were caused because the British kept making bad agreements. While, the Chinese were killing people with maggots. God forbid we discuss how the British destroyed a population in order for a few people to get rich.
In addition, when they did talk about bad things the ‘British’ troops did, the author made sure to let the audience know that is was actually the Indian troops who did the bad things.
Not only this, but it was clear the author had a bias against the Chinese. He went out of his way to subtlety and not alway so subtlety insult them. At not one point did the author actually acknowledge what opium did or how the Chinese were treated by the British. Instead we were reminded that ‘as usual, the Chinese rewrites history.’ Clearly because they can’t ever be right…cue the enormous amounts of eye rolling.
Do not read this book, especially if you want a more realistic and unbiased approach to the Opium Wars.
Yes, this is really a quote from this book. Now, let’s get on to more egregious matters. For some reason, well, obvious reasons, the author’s descriptions of events were atrocious. Summed up, the Opium Wars were caused because the British kept making bad agreements. While, the Chinese were killing people with maggots. God forbid we discuss how the British destroyed a population in order for a few people to get rich.
In addition, when they did talk about bad things the ‘British’ troops did, the author made sure to let the audience know that is was actually the Indian troops who did the bad things.
Not only this, but it was clear the author had a bias against the Chinese. He went out of his way to subtlety and not alway so subtlety insult them. At not one point did the author actually acknowledge what opium did or how the Chinese were treated by the British. Instead we were reminded that ‘as usual, the Chinese rewrites history.’ Clearly because they can’t ever be right…cue the enormous amounts of eye rolling.
Do not read this book, especially if you want a more realistic and unbiased approach to the Opium Wars.
July 6, 2017
An okay book, covering the background, conduct, and aftermath of the economic and political conflicts between Britain and China in the mid-19th century. This chronological narrative had a good data dump on the people, places, and actions of the two "Opium Wars." It was mostly centered on the political and cultural elements, glossing over the military aspects and generalizing the economic underpinnings of the conflict. I was a bit put off by the lack of analysis and assessment, as the authors tended to concentrate on a few key themes without presenting all sides of the argument (whether considered positive or not). But they did, in a short volume, provide a decent amount of in-depth history on this very complex subject which, in and of itself, is noteworthy. As a side note, the first edition hardcover that I read was one of the worst edited books I've seen in awhile, with mis-prints and errors on every few pages; it didn't help me change my opinion of the book as a quickly published piece meant to convey a specific set of broad arguments vice a detailed assessment. A good book if you want to have a better understanding of the trade conflicts between Manchu China and Victorian Britain, but do know there are more in-depth assessments available.
April 30, 2019
This book is unacceptably Eurocentric old hat from the perspective of anyone serious about Chinese history or world history today. This book was even outdated when it came out. The authors did no original historical research. Instead, they just read a bunch of English language secondary scholarship on the Opium Wars and a few memoirs by some Brits who participated in it. The book is falsely advertised as a fair account of both the Chinese and British, but it is really just cherry picking a few quotes already taken from elsewhere. You know what is an obvious give away? The acknowledgements section of the book does not have one single person with a Chinese name at all in it. Everyone they consulted for this book was a European. They didn’t even go to China to do research for this. Totally unacceptable, and there are so many more, much better books out there now about the Opium Wars. Don’t bother with this one.
April 30, 2018
This was a good comprehensive review of a sad chapter in China’s history. Very detailed description of events. Rating would be higher however there were multiple editing errors (missing period, to instead of too etc) that distracted from the reading experience. It’s possible it may have been my edition but surprised it went to print with obvious errors.
January 24, 2022
Mostly based on Western newspapers and slightly biased in making the reason for the atrocities that the Westerners did, this book gives a general understanding of the Opium Wars. Overall, it was OK. If you want a more detailed understanding of the Opium Wars, then this is not the book for you.
November 16, 2017
Real page turner. Hard to believe this actually happened. I'm not sure of who to blame more. On second thought, it's definitely the British that should be blamed more.
March 10, 2018
I didn't know much about the opium wars ... now I do and my gosh!! It's horrifying! Horrifying yet fascinating.
October 7, 2021
An important if ugly time in history that deserves a better book. Descriptions of boats traveling up rivers and envoys steaming across the sea do not make for a vital telling of events.
March 13, 2008
Not the best history book but OK. The theme is that the opium trade not only destroyed China’s empire but ruined the morality of the English. The opium trade was started because of balance of payments issues with the export of tea and silk from China – it was draining the British treasury. Opium was the only product China needed. China had ignored the west so long that all of its military especially naval and artillery were antiquated. The other theme to apply today is that you can not stop drugs on one side. (i.e. stopping the source in Columbia means nothing is you do not address demand in the US). Key thoughts from the book. Keep up with technology. If someone else is willing to do the work, come in late to share the spoils (Russia and France were minor partners to the second opium war while Britain provided most of the muscle but they signed ‘most favored nation’ treaties with China which required the same trading rights as the ‘most favored nation’ received.
September 2, 2014
Two nations of drug addicts, one to tea, the other to opium, become embroiled in an all out drug war in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Compounding the problem, both nations are locked into a supremely arrogant mind-set and see the other as barbarians whilst they, and they alone, represent true 'Civilisation'. Whats of most interest though is that through the lens of the Opium Wars we watch the social forces of Civilization and Intoxication play themselves out in an unique fashion. It is also interesting to now reflect that for the West tea has slipped slowly out of favour as the preferred stimulant and lubricant for social interactions, replaced by a panoply of new drugs (against the ugly background of all out 'War on Drugs'). And that for the East it took the brutality and intolerance of Mao and the Communist revolution to finally stamp out the widespread use opium, but the question needs to be asked, as Communism changes, how will Intoxication also change in the East?.
March 11, 2008
This was a very interesting and tragic look at how britain basically addicted the Chinese to opium in order to finance their tea trade through the East India Trading Company. They actually fought wars to keep the drug trade flowing into China. Something they won't cover in this detail in your typical history class.
June 23, 2012
Accessible readable insight into the politics, personalities and flawed logic if the two opium wars waged by British on China in the 19th century.
Some annoying repetition, inappropriate modern mores references and proof reading lapses notwithstanding. Useful background to a contempory trip to Hong Kong.
Some annoying repetition, inappropriate modern mores references and proof reading lapses notwithstanding. Useful background to a contempory trip to Hong Kong.
October 29, 2016
A sad and necessary book to read to help understand how western interventions in Asia in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has screwed us in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Somewhat derivative of earlier works, which would be okay if the prose flowed a bit better and there were fewer repetitions of facts.
Somewhat derivative of earlier works, which would be okay if the prose flowed a bit better and there were fewer repetitions of facts.
March 2, 2011
Meh. Started strong, but got a bit worn down by the particulars.
May 5, 2012
I just wanted general information on the Opium Wars- but like many history writers he also suffers from researchitis and gave too much irrelevant information.
December 1, 2012
An absolutely wonderful and gripping historical following of the opium wars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews