The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams, and the Making of Modern China by Julia Lovell (PDF)

Description

In October 1839, a Windsor cabinet meeting votes to begin the first Opium War against China. Bureaucratic fumbling, military missteps, and a healthy dose of political opportunism and collaboration followed. Rich in tragicomedy, The Opium War explores the disastrous British foreign-relations move that became a founding myth of modern Chinese nationalism, and depicts China’s heroic struggle against Western conspiracy. Julia Lovell examines the causes and consequences of the Opium War, interweaving tales of the opium pushers and dissidents. More importantly, she analyses how the Opium Wars shaped China’s self-image and created an enduring model for its interactions with the West, plagued by delusion and prejudice.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: About the Author Julia Lovell is an author, translator, and academic. She is the author of the widely acclaimed The Great Wall: China Against the World 1000 BC–AD 2000, which was published in eighteen countries. She has translated many key Chinese works into English, including Lust, Caution by Eileen Chang, The Complete Fiction of Lu Xun, and Serve the People by Yan Lianke. She is a lecturer in modern Chinese history and literature at the University of London and writes for the Guardian, The Times, the Economist, and the Times Literary Supplement. She spends a large part of the year in China with her family.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Murphy law states that: Nothing is as easy as it appears to be.That seems to apply as to how this war got started. The reasons behind it, is more complicated, and more interesting than what most people think.According to the CCP, during the Opium war, evil Western Imperialist’s attacked China, with the intent of forcing Opium down the throats of ordinary Chinese. The author, in the first chapters, gives, not only a short summarizing story of Chinas history with Opium, which dates all the way back to the first half of the 8th century, but also how it was used, all the way into late 19th century.In the book, the author tries in no way to justify the reasons for starting a war on behalf of drug dealers. The author, using both Chinese and British sources from the time, describes how the war unfolded, on both sides. And I found the story of the Opium war quite intriguing.Like how the Qing forces tried to fight back. And some of their ideas for fighting back were quite peculiar to say the least. The famous Qing commissioner, Lin Zexu, wanted to use spiritualist’s who claimed to have the ability of being able to walk on water, to drill holes in the hulls of the British warships and thereby sink them. It turned out that they could bub on the surface of the water.General Yang Fang believed that the reason for the British success against the forts at the mouth of the Pearl River delta, wasn’t because of superior technology, but the employment of Dark Art. And his plan to fight back was to gather every female night pot from every tenth household in Canton.Despite being technologically outmatched, the Qing commanders’ kept reporting to the emperor, that traitors, from within the Qing ranks, had caused the defeats they had suffered, and not their inferior weaponry and tactics. As a result, the Daoguang emperor kept pursuing a war, which he considered to be another regional or local rebellion. Because of the Qing officials’ false reports, it wasn’t until late 1841 that he finally understood the reality of this war.The book focuses mostly on the first Opium war, while the Second one is only superficially covered. But it goes deeper into the root cause for the CCPs victimology propaganda. The author also put stories from both the British, the Qing and the CCP alongside each other for the reader to compare.At the same time, it also tells what the young people of China today thinks of the war that began because of drugs. I found this book very insightful.

⭐Want to know understand why certain countries or people approach various things a certain way? Read then study multiple sources regarding their history. History rhymes. Many countries (as peoples) have a “chip” on their shoulder. After reading a few historical books on this topic, why would you expect China’s geopolitical actions as they grow stronger every day?These Opium Wars triggered the further speedy decline of the Middle Kingdom. Our diplomats, business leaders, and academics wander into mirky waters when they opt to only embrace the memories only of their own home countries. Guaranteed to cause those once offended to make up for lost face and ground from the past. Just as you would do too?Julia Lovell does an excellent job. Finding an engaging storyteller of history makes the time reading it well spent.ACommon1 Connectivity found in History.

⭐Purchased this for my advanced history class in college. Great read!

⭐This is a very readable account of the First and Second Opium Wars. The author, a lecturer at the University of London, offers a blend of scholarly research and entertaining storytelling. Accomplishing both within the same covers is an unusual achievement. Lovell has a witty way of writing, without becoming glib or unsympathetic towards the often tragic circumstances described. If the reader is seeking a moral allegory embedded in past events, it may well be found in the folly of men.One of the strong points of this work is that it includes both Opium Wars, instead of ending at the Treaty of Nanjing. Although known foremost as a cultural historian, Lovell offers a good overview of the military events without getting bogged down in minutiae. A description of the major battles may seem prerequisite, yet many books focus only on political and diplomatic aspects of the conflicts. These are covered as well, but are augmented with substantial discussion of the armed action.Another strength is in its balanced critique of both sides of the conflict. This may come from the author’s command of both primary source languages, and an affinity for both China and her native Britain. It is not, as some have asserted, a merely anglocentric view of the period. Yes, the British were brutal and Chinese resistance proved futile, but there is more here than these shopworn sermons betray. Beyond a fair assessment of the causes and results of the war, this is an enjoyable history.The only criticism I have could also be seen as a virtue. There is a significant focus on the political permutations of Opium War historiography in an extended conclusion. These interesting consequences of the conflicts show how propaganda was used by China and the West during the 20th century. It is important subject matter in its own right, but it somehow feels like a different book than the preceding historical narrative. Perhaps it would have worked better as an appendix.

⭐This detailed work chronicles the start of the first Opium War, briefly touches on the second war and ends by examining the legacy of events.Lovell details how Britain needed to supply Opium because of its trade deficit with China, while the latter seems to have had a complicated relationship with the drug. Despite being illegal at times the drug was very popular in China and there was money to be made, by the foreigners and Chinese alike.This is also a story of culture clash . The Qing dynasty didn’t grasp the full scale of the conflict seeing it as a small pesky matter happening far south. Lovell dedicates considerable time explaining what the Empire was like, groups split along ethics and cultural lines. Far from being united against the British some southern merchants took the opportunities offered, feeling no loyalty to the distant ruling Qing.We move onto the conflict, the Qing being misinformed and not realising the extent of British supremacy in such matters. Some Brits felt uncomfortable at the obvious one-sided nature of it all and disliked the dishonourable slaughter. Later, it was as though the Brits realised they’d pushed drugs into China and used their armies to get what they wanted (including Hong Kong) and started fearing reprisals. This fear led to silly racist anti-chinese views.The most interesting aspect is undoubtedly the Chinese themselves. At times painting themselves as a victim of the drug pushing west but then growing their own Opium. Lovell also tells how there was an underlying self loathing in China towards the opium users and the officials who failed to protect China from the Europeans. She also claims that ultimately China was more occupied with events in China itself. The rulers were were concerned with rebellions and crises then white men in tight pants ( to the locals) pushing drugs. The war was useful propoganda when Communism took over and, as all governments know, the best way to make people forget about internal issues is to resurrect or create a external one.This is a really great work of greedy Brits, inexperienced officials and truly shows how both sides later tried to edit or interpret it all differently to try to justify themselves.

⭐I found it difficult to follow, especially in the early chapters. I knew nothing at all about the subject, so I had no context to put it in. The author would introduce a new character, then go back into their life story, while I was still trying to keep the thread of the narrative. However, about a third of the way through, the narrative took over, speeded up and became very interesting. There was another problem, in that most of the characters had Chinese names, which seemed similar to me, so that I got them confused. I had to keep looking them up in the (very good) glossary at the end of the book. I’m glad I persevered, because I understand a lot more about China now as well as Victorian England and their attitude to the rest of the world. I might even read this book again!

⭐Great Start, well researched and a good overall view of the war. However, the book covers a lot more than the 1841 war and the subsequent 1860 second Opium war and digress into modern politics how the Opium map the modern geopolitical landscape. However, as we digress into the modern era, the author can help herself by inserting a comment here and there, many of which were jingoistic China-bashing gripe which seems to be increasingly popular just about any discourse about China. The author a well known academic just present a balanced picture, outlined tales and opinions from both sides of the story. She missed a good chance to make this book truely great. Alast to me it is just an OK book.

⭐In the1770s India increased its supply of opium to China who tried to stop it but the East India company sent more and more this resulted in the first opmium war (1839-42 ).China lost and had to open 5 treaty ports and give Hong Kong to Britain. Opium continued to flood in resultig in the secod opium war (1856-60).This war prettywell destroyed China which only started to recover when the communists took over in 1949.Very well written and researched. Some good pictures.Very highly recommended.

⭐I enjoyed this book for its comprehensive coverage of Opium and China, and it effects on life today. For me the sheer amount of historic detail and personalities lost it a star as I found parts of it a bit if a drudge. That said is is a good book which explains in context how history affects politics today.The conclusion delves into a range of thoughts on China’s internal cohesion, some realities of patriotic education, and current event context, which was interesting.

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