- The first standalone account of the Macartney mission in thirty years
- Draws on the experience of the Macartney mission to shed light on the realities of modern China’s relationship with the West
- Beautifully illustrated with many rare and unpublished images
- Now, more than ever, events in China affect the entire world and we will all benefit from knowing more about this great power
In 1793, George Macartney introduced two of the leading empires of his age, heralding one of the greatest power shifts in history.
Kowtow: Georgian Britain, Imperial China and the Irishman Who Introduced Them tells the story of Macartney, Britain’s first ambassador to China, and his career that spanned the globe, from the Caribbean to India, from Brazil to Indonesia, and then finally through China to Peking.
Kowtow explains why Macartney’s embassy was needed and examines the nature and personalities of the ambassador and his imperial host, Emperor Qianlong. Along the way, there are duels, battles, imprisonment, diplomatic negotiations, disease, nomads and a one-legged penguin.
We journey with Macartney and his colleagues to the gates of the Forbidden City, to Peking’s Summer Palace, over the Great Wall and into Qianlong’s summer hunting grounds in Rehe. The story of the Macartney mission also brings significant lessons in the importance of diplomatic engagement and trade relations.
The impasse that resulted from Macartney’s refusal to agree to expected court ceremony still causes great reverberations today, and as a result, his mission represents one of the major missed opportunities in history and a symbol of tension between China and the West.
| BOOK ISBN |
9781781558218 |
| FORMAT |
234 x 156 mm |
| BINDING |
Hardback |
| PAGES |
208 pages |
| PUBLICATION DATE |
11 February 2021
|
| TERRITORY |
World |
| ILLUSTRATIONS |
25 colour illustrations |
