A Modern History of Hong Kong (Paperback)

by Steve Tsang (Author)
Key Phrases: premier entrepôt, mui tsai, functional constituencies, Hong Kong, Legislative Council, New Territories (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Contemporary Review: "The definitive history of Hong Kong." Sir Robin McLaren (British Ambassador to China 1991-94): "This is the first serious history of Hong Kong to cover the whole period of British rule... Steve Tsang is well-equipped to write it... he has drawn on a vast array of sources...to produce a thorough and well-crafted study which should appeal to the general reader as well as to the specialist... For those who want to understand the importance of the territory's British legacy in its continuing success, Dr Tsang's study is likely to remain the best guide for some time to come." Far Eastern Economic Review: "Steve Tsang has now provided an elegantly written and most timely book...He has also set an extremely high bar for future authors on Hong Kong with his immense scholarship and fine writing. Tsang offers in each chapter the finest summaries one can find anywhere on Hong Kong history." 'This is, in a word, an impressive book... despite the encyclopaedic wealth of facts and documentation presented, it is a very readable narrative.'- East Asia --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Tsang's history is authoritative and well-researched...From rock to great metropolis, the story storms along, full of heroes and villains, eccentrics and visionaries, bounders and buccaneers." -- Chris Patten, New Statesman
"Clearly written, logically organized and sustains a tone of persuasive authority." --Wm Roger Louis, University of Texas at Austin
"Having spent half his life in Hong Kong and half in the West, Mr Tsang is uniquely placed to write this book. He has produced what must be the definitive history of Hong Kong." -- Contemporary Review
"This is a well constructed, thorough yet succinct history of Hong Kong. It should be on the shelf of everyone interested in the city. for the general reader, this will stimulate further interest. For the experts, enjoy Tsang's fine style." -- Christine Loh, Civic Exchange
"A respected Oxford scholar brought up in Hong Kong, [Steve Tsang] has drawn on a vast array of sources, Chinese as well as British, to produce a thorough and well-crafted study which should appeal to the general reader as well as the specialist…For those who want to understand the importance of the territory’s British legacy in its continuing success, Dr Tsang’s study is likely to remain the best guide for some time to come." -- Sir Robin McLaren, China Review

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: I. B. Tauris (September 4, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 1845114191 ISBN-13: 978-1845114190 Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #417,827 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #18 in  Books > History > Asia > Hong Kong

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
premier entrepôt, mui tsai, functional constituencies, imperial outpost

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Hong Kong, Legislative Council, New Territories, British Empire, Basic Law, Executive Council, Joint Declaration, Colonial Office, Foreign Office, Chinese Empire, Crown Colony, Pacific War, Cultural Revolution, Work Committee, East Asia, Treaty of Nanking, Deng Xiaoping, Cold War, Sun Yat-sen, Communist Party, Royal Navy, United Front, Registrar General, Chiang Kai-shek, Pearl River

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	82% buy the item featured on this page: A Modern History of Hong Kong 4.7 out of 5 stars (3) $21.02
	6% buy Hong Kong 4.0 out of 5 stars (6) $15.30
	5% buy Insight Fleximap Hong Kong 5.0 out of 5 stars (2) $8.95
	4% buy Hong Kong Complete Residents' Guide $16.47

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below. china(2) british history(1) cultural studies(1) economic history(1) hong kong(1) Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A well-balanced treatment of Hong Kong's history that lives up to its name, January 21, 2006 By  Oliver Brearey (Costa Mesa, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: A Modern History of Hong Kong (Hardcover) A Modern History of Hong Kong presents a supremely well-balanced history of this former British imperial possession. Steve Tsang's meticulously researched historical narrative duly recognizes the efforts of both Hong Kong's industrious and civic-minded local Chinese population and the expatriate British who held the bulk of the administrative power over Hong Kong during its tenure as a crown colony. Tsang's work demonstrates that Hong Kong's ethnic Chinese inhabitants played an essential and dynamic role in the creation of the former colony in that they constituted its economic, industrial, and infrastructural workforce from the beginning, and came to develop their own unique Hong Kong identity as the population stabilized culturally but exploded in number in the decades following the Second World War. Tsang's historical account never strays far from what students of Marxist theory would likely refer to as Hong Kong's material conditions, in that the book portrays Hong Kong's cultural development within the context of its economic and political circumstances. The work puts forth a history of Hong Kong in which the colony's unique social and cultural characteristics were established as a result of the relatively minimalist legal and political framework that was provided by the British colonizers in order to ensure Hong Kong's capitalistic success. Students of history, English, postcolonial studies, comparative literature, and other academic disciplines will find this book to be a fascinating primer for further studies into both Hong Kong's history and the colonial and postcolonial initiatives of Britain and other Eurasian countries. General readers and academics alike who are interested in Hong Kong's history will find Steve Tsang's book to be a lively, entertaining, and fair treatment of the forces and events that led to the formation of this former colony and to the creation of its current identity as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on Hong Kong, January 30, 2006 By  John Simpson - See all my reviews This review is from: A Modern History of Hong Kong (Hardcover) This is by far the best book on Hong Kong I have ever read. It is clearly written, balanced, and insightful. My family and I have lived in Hong Kong for years and it is nice to read a book that describes a place one knows well in beautifully written prose. It is fair about both the British and the local Chinese communities. When I read the chapter on the rise of a Hong Kong identity I know this is really good. It rings true. Most highly recommended. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent history of Hong Kong, April 21, 2008 By  DCD - See all my reviews This history is well balanced, thoroughly researched and very readable. It covers the period from the Opium Wars when the British obtained the rocky island referred to as "fragrant harbour" (Hong Kong) to the handover of one of the world's preeminent trading and financial centres to the PRC. The strength of the text is that it makes very clear that Hong Kong's existence was a function of the relative power of China and Britain. As China disintegrated in the 19th Century and European powers took little pieces for themselves, Britain was the leading European in the area, and (after serving itself) even sought to protect China against its European competitors. When the costs of World War II and the Japanese Empire broke the back of Europe's colonies in Asia, a new chapter began in Hong Kong as well. Prof. Tsang shows a Hong Kong that somewhat resembles the United States in that it is a refuge for immigrants from troubled foreign countries, although in the case of Hong Kong almost everyone came from China. Tsang does not shy away from depicting the racist and elitist practices of Victorian England towards the Chinese refugees who made up Hong Kong's population, but stresses that what the colonial masters had to offer (particularly the rule of law and civil service) was much better than what these people could expect from their Chinese homeland. This portrait of the people of Hong Kong is extremely sympathetic, even endearing. They appear as enterprising refugees who had no real power to defend themselves against either Imperial Britain or Communist China except making Hong Kong such a special (and wealthy) place that the power current overshadowing them would look favorably to giving them space to breathe. This is not only a captivating and informative history, but also an excellent study of colonies generally and culture: it shows how and the extent to which a Western economy and society can develop in a culture that remains completely Chinese.		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)   Discussion Replies Latest Post   No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines Active discussions in related forums   Discussion Replies Latest Post history Why does Holocaust Denial Exist? 5265 10 minutes ago history An Islamic Reformation? 3 11 minutes ago history If The USA Stopped Supporting Israel Would That End Terrorism From Islam Extremists? 160 1 hour ago textbook Does anyone use Discovering Geometry: An Investigative Approach? 4 22 hours ago textbook Textbooks for Kindle DX? 38 1 day ago china The Coming Anniversary of Tiananmen Massacre 16 5 days ago british history opinions on the book the wars against napoleon 0 5 days ago

The China community Latest activity 9 hours ago 3,447 customers have contributed 3,647 products, 226 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Hong Kong community Latest activity 8 hours ago 394 customers have contributed 359 products, 20 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The British History community Latest activity 9 hours ago 1,636 customers have contributed 1,787 products, 129 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums british history (3 discussions) china (10 discussions) history (663 discussions) hong kong (2 discussions) textbook (16 discussions) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Listmania!

22 Piks & Pans---Advice on what one reviewer read in 2003: A list by tendays komyathy   Hong Kong, China, and SE Asia: A list by J. A. Daye   A Chinese History Sampler: A list by Rac A. Powsky "hello" Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > History > Asia > China
• Books > History > Asia > Hong Kong
• Books > History > Middle East
• Books > History > World
• Books > New & Used Textbooks > Humanities > History > Asia

---

Don't Slip and Slide Keep your walkways safe and clear of snow and ice using the HeatTrak heated walkway. ›Shop all HeatTrak heated walkways

Big Savings in Books Find great titles at fantastic prices in our Bargain Books Store.

Buy Three Books, Get a Fourth Free Order any four eligible books under $10 and get the lowest-price book free in our 4-for-3 Books Store. See more details.

Best Books See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Where's My Stuff? Track your recent orders. View or change your orders in Your Account. Shipping & Returns See our shipping rates & policies. See FREE shipping information. Return an item (here's our Returns Policy). Need Help? Forgot your password? Buy gift cards. Visit our Help department.

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.	Continue shopping: Top Sellers Paranoia by Joseph Finder 4.1 out of 5 stars (193)$0.00 My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent 4.3 out of 5 stars (3)$0.00 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (263)$6.59 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (263)$6.59

Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores

International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us

Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings

Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845114191
• ISBN-13: 978-1845114190
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #417,827 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #18 in

  Books > History > Asia > Hong Kong

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-balanced treatment of Hong Kong's history that lives up to its name, January 21, 2006

By	Oliver Brearey (Costa Mesa, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Modern History of Hong Kong (Hardcover)

A Modern History of Hong Kong presents a supremely well-balanced history of this former British imperial possession. Steve Tsang's meticulously researched historical narrative duly recognizes the efforts of both Hong Kong's industrious and civic-minded local Chinese population and the expatriate British who held the bulk of the administrative power over Hong Kong during its tenure as a crown colony. Tsang's work demonstrates that Hong Kong's ethnic Chinese inhabitants played an essential and dynamic role in the creation of the former colony in that they constituted its economic, industrial, and infrastructural workforce from the beginning, and came to develop their own unique Hong Kong identity as the population stabilized culturally but exploded in number in the decades following the Second World War. Tsang's historical account never strays far from what students of Marxist theory would likely refer to as Hong Kong's material conditions, in that the book portrays Hong Kong's cultural development within the context of its economic and political circumstances. The work puts forth a history of Hong Kong in which the colony's unique social and cultural characteristics were established as a result of the relatively minimalist legal and political framework that was provided by the British colonizers in order to ensure Hong Kong's capitalistic success. Students of history, English, postcolonial studies, comparative literature, and other academic disciplines will find this book to be a fascinating primer for further studies into both Hong Kong's history and the colonial and postcolonial initiatives of Britain and other Eurasian countries. General readers and academics alike who are interested in Hong Kong's history will find Steve Tsang's book to be a lively, entertaining, and fair treatment of the forces and events that led to the formation of this former colony and to the creation of its current identity as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on Hong Kong, January 30, 2006

By	John Simpson - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Modern History of Hong Kong (Hardcover)

This is by far the best book on Hong Kong I have ever read. It is clearly written, balanced, and insightful. My family and I have lived in Hong Kong for years and it is nice to read a book that describes a place one knows well in beautifully written prose. It is fair about both the British and the local Chinese communities. When I read the chapter on the rise of a Hong Kong identity I know this is really good. It rings true. Most highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent history of Hong Kong, April 21, 2008

By	DCD - See all my reviews

This history is well balanced, thoroughly researched and very readable. It covers the period from the Opium Wars when the British obtained the rocky island referred to as "fragrant harbour" (Hong Kong) to the handover of one of the world's preeminent trading and financial centres to the PRC. The strength of the text is that it makes very clear that Hong Kong's existence was a function of the relative power of China and Britain. As China disintegrated in the 19th Century and European powers took little pieces for themselves, Britain was the leading European in the area, and (after serving itself) even sought to protect China against its European competitors. When the costs of World War II and the Japanese Empire broke the back of Europe's colonies in Asia, a new chapter began in Hong Kong as well. Prof. Tsang shows a Hong Kong that somewhat resembles the United States in that it is a refuge for immigrants from troubled foreign countries, although in the case of Hong Kong almost everyone came from China. Tsang does not shy away from depicting the racist and elitist practices of Victorian England towards the Chinese refugees who made up Hong Kong's population, but stresses that what the colonial masters had to offer (particularly the rule of law and civil service) was much better than what these people could expect from their Chinese homeland. This portrait of the people of Hong Kong is extremely sympathetic, even endearing. They appear as enterprising refugees who had no real power to defend themselves against either Imperial Britain or Communist China except making Hong Kong such a special (and wealthy) place that the power current overshadowing them would look favorably to giving them space to breathe. This is not only a captivating and informative history, but also an excellent study of colonies generally and culture: it shows how and the extent to which a Western economy and society can develop in a culture that remains completely Chinese.