Hong Kong Books

This book provides a good source for the origins of Hong Kong and tells a fascinating story. It is especially good in detail in pre 1945 history with more than 2/3 of the book dedicated to that time period.
What bothered me about this book was the readiness of the author of accepting Nationalist assumptions of the origin of states. Writing about the time after 1962, Welsh says: "China had regained what could be regarded as her historic boundaries, with major exceptions of Taiwan and Hong Kong, and was willing to allow negotiations for the restoration of these to take their course without more pressure" (p. 444) The assumption of historic borders, though, is problematic. Tibet and Xinjiang have been rather recent additions to what is today the People's Republic of China. Taiwan only became a province under the Qing dynasty. During World War II, Mao Zedong even considered independence for Taiwan. It was Chiang Kai-shek's brutal conquest of the island that changed the equation. In the end, Welsh should be aware that countries are a mere creation of humans and are bound to change over time.

One is old enough to remember the British Empire during the period between 1945 and the devaluation of sterling in 1967, as a young, inquisitive, American, and when I visited London in 1973, I was duly impressed, as was Henry James in 1880, by the sooty *gravitas* of that great city as if it was still dreaming of Hong Kong, and palm and pine.

But much water has passed under London bridge since then. The past year or so, my commercial affairs have taken me to two dying embers of the British Empire, Suva in Fiji and Hong Kong, now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Welsh¡¯s book is invaluable on Hong Kong.

Dying? Dead. Suva is today a province in fact if not in law of Australia and Frank Welsh's book makes it very clear that Hong Kong never was British. It's always been a Chinese city with a vast Chinese majority.

The British overlordship was curiously meaningless, and, if I read Welsh's book alright, it has serious lessons for any American still so foolish as to support Bush's idiotic attempt at reconquista in Iraq.

For in weak piping times of peace, there is, it seems, and at least in the UK and in America, dominated as they are, and rightfully so, by formidable females, no shortage of men who come upon a mad desire for military folly nel mezzo de camin, as a midlife crisis.

Precisely when the generation that had actually braved shot and shell at Waterloo was beginning to succumb to age and strong drink, ambitious and unscrupulous politicians, it is clear from Welsh, decided it was time, in Marx's sense, to resolve a few contradictions with gun-powder.

The Opium wars resulted even as today the Iraq wars have been the folly of choice.

Like the Iraq wars, the Opium wars had a curious two-phase structure. The first war was limited by what the impossible French would call considerations of humanity on both sides. British commanders set specific limited goals and the Chinese mandarins actually expressed, more than once, concern for the welfare of white colonies in Guangdong factories and in Macau.

In the 1840s, neither side in other words quite fit the demonizing caricature and one is reminded of the fact that Tariq Azis, now in American clink, is an Iraqi Christian (a damnably inconvenient fact well-concealed by the idiot American news media) who endeavored to limit the first war for nothing more, and nothing less, than considerations of humanity (for ¡°let us not speak falsely now the hour is much too late¡±)¡­even as Bush the elder (and a genuine coalition) could not stomach a drive on Baghdad.

Iraqi physicians and soldiers in April of 2003 protected Jessica Lynch until her rescue for nothing more, and nothing less, than considerations of humanity.

In the Guangdong region, British commanders demanded extra-territorality because the Mandarins would, they said, impose savage and un-Christian punishments on Britishers, and the British wanted to impose condign Christian punishments including the cat of nine tails, hanging, and abandonment at town¡¯s end to starve.

The second war, and the subsequent Elgin mission, were thanks to Palmerston (the evil genius of the entire affair) less informed on the Chinese side by Mencius¡¯ benign philosophy, or what the unspeakable French would call considerations, de l¡¯humanite. And as a result, by the time of Elgin¡¯s violation of China, beastliness erupted on both sides: the scent of blood was in the air as it is today in Najaf.

Britain received as its prize a humid gaggle of mountainous islands, and, as soon as it was known that money was to be made, millions of Chinese swarmed in, who in fact made Hong Kong the great city it is today. Hong Kong never really benefited Britain. Any more than Iraq, so far, has been a net benefit to the sharpers and criminals who lured America into hell has been anything more than bloody and expensive folly, did Hong Kong benefit Britain. For as Welsh notes, Britain¡¯s trade with little Holland has always exceeded its trade with China.

Indeed, I am reminded, reading of British trade¡¯s misadventures in Hong Kong and in China, of the hapless Indian touts at Tsim Sha Shue, who attempt to interest one in a fine ¡°British tailored¡± wool suit. This is usually in 100+ Fahrenheit when one is covered in sweat, where the very thought of worsted is the worst thing in the world. One says to the tout with a grin, nemestay, sahib, knowing that he is just trying to get by; but one wonders who signs on for fine British tailoring in the tropics other than mad dogs and Englishmen.

Welsh is most amusing on, and most unimpressed by, Thatcher who like a tropical storm visited Hong Kong and China in the 1980s, making silly noises about treating Hong Kong as Britain treated the Falklands while her generals and admirals had kittens. Britain had, of course, no real leverage.

Britain exhibited le perfide Anglais and nauseating hypocrisy. It extracted a series of promises from the Chinese leadership without being in the least able to enforce China¡¯s conformity to them. In the one area where Britain had leverage, the issuance of passports to Chinese inhabitants, Britain simply stonewalled: one can¡¯t have more wogs, especially hard-working wogs.

But China does keep more or less to her 1997 commitments in order perhaps to lure Taiwan into ¡°one country, two systems¡± and Hong Kong flourishes as before with today, it seems, at least one Brooks Brothers outlet per capita¡­offering wear appropriate to the noonday sun. For China, much depends on dinner and Hong Kong is a meal ticket.

All¡¯s well, that ends well, so far. But clearly the Opium wars and the grab of Hong Kong began Britain¡¯s slow decline into the tragicomic opera of today. For it was shortly after the Arrow nonsense that Germany began to beat Britain at commerce.

Perhaps Iraq is America¡¯s paredon in the same way.

Frank Welsh has written a magnificent history of Hong Kong: His account of nearly two centuries of British rule is comprehensive, spirited, fair and funny. Welsh obviously enjoyed writing this book, and his energy and enthusiasm are contagious. I loved his concise, blunt and often hilarious assessments of the rogues, eccentrics, incompetents and occasional heroes who governed or otherwise played major roles in Hong Kong: Gov. John Bowring "possessed almost every gift but that of common sense.'' "It might have been possible to find a man more unsuited to be a Colonial Governor than John Pope Hennessey,'' Welsh writes, "but it would not have been easy.'' Welsh admits that he writes from an Anglo perspective, and he is sympathetic to Hong Kong's British colonial rulers. But he is not blind to their snobbish, condescending and sometimes plainly racist attitudes toward the ethnic Chinese they ruled. To this reader, Welsh's argument that the Opium War wasn't really about opium isn't convincing, but his defense of the so-called "unequal treaties" between China and Britain is. Welsh sometimes wades too far into the minutiae of diplomacy and politics, and he too readily assumes the reader's familiarity with 18th century British history and personalities. But these are quibbles; in fact, the weaknesses are the flipside of one of the book's great strengths: It strives to put events in Hong Kong in a broader historical perspective, explaining the political backdrop in Britain or mainland China. One of Welsh's recurring themes struck this reader as particularly timely: the shameful degree to which Hong Kong's business elites, be they British or Chinese, put their narrow interest in profit above the public interest. In the 19th century, Hong Kong moneymen, worried about losing tenants and facing higher costs, opposed efforts to improve public sanitation and fight disease by tearing down squalid, congested tenement buildings. Today, they argue alongside the communist leadership in Beijing against any expansion of democracy in Hong Kong - fearful no doubt that a democratically accountable government might look twice at their privileges and dodgy business practices. Overall, this is a fine book and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the history of Hong Kong or indeed of Great Britain.

Although a little 'dry' at times, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Frank Welsh's analysis of the development of this incredible city, its history and culture is fantastic. What caught my attention was in the Introduction when he remarked that Hong Kong was never a British colony but a Chinese colony administered by the British. From there on, he had my attention.

Frank Welsch provides his audience with a clear and comprehensive interperation of the events that have shaped this great city of the world. I would, however, make a few suggestions and warnings before one purchases this book. First, one of the great aspects of this work is its relentless display of primary sources and attention to detail. It might not be the best read for one who is trying to obtain a concise and short history of hong kong. The primary sources are fascinating and makes one feel as if they are watching over the shoulders of colonial officiers and engrossing themselves in the soap opera of creating and maintaining a colony. The second warning would be to expect a majority of the work to focus on the pre-twentieth century development of the colony. Although the author does provide enough of post twentieth century to ensure a satisfied understanding of the events, one who is focusing on modern hong kong, like myself, might want to consider another read. And finally, Mr. Welsch does touch base with social and cultural history, but his main focus is on the polties of hong kong. Do not expect a great emergence into this subject.

The author is a Dutch journalist for a Dutch newspaper based in Asia for twentysomething years and his book was translated into English a year later. Over 5 years ago, he wrote with a provocative title; similar to vanWolferen, an author (0-394-57796-5) who popularized the mgmt-speak: "Japan Inc," along with Business Week magazine, in the mid 1980s, when megaconglomerates (keiretsu), such as Mitsubishi and Sumitomo, were conspiring to conquer the world again, this time economically instead of militarily after WW II plus 40 years. Then later Mark Clifford wrote (1-56324-386-5) of a similar business conspiracy being duplicated with the chaebols of "Korea Inc," such as Samsung and Hyundai, after the Korean conflict (1950) plus 40 years. I found that this author has written a profound analysis on a potentially unified China (PRC+HK+TW), and interprets recent history to show the reader how China could set a similar course since the Cultural Revolution (1975) plus 40 years. Although he is a westerner who knows the native language, he appears to give a more neutral, less biased portrait of the emerging giant.

While not explicitly claimed by the author, his experience in reporting about China has started in the late 70s, first from Indonesia and then in the Chinas. This means that he observed the China ferment since the Cultural Revolution. So his writings must have included the Gang of 4 (79), the Four Modernizations (80s), Third Line Project (relo key defense industry away from the vulnerable E coast), and Deng's Reform and Opening (92). His book includes a 3-page bibliography, 18 pages of notes, and a 14-page index for further study. From his vantage point, he could eavesdrop on the whispered goings-on in the CCP and Taiwanese governments in order to validate what is eventually released to the propaganda machines.

Of the key areas in his book, Chap 3, over 30 pages are devoted in describing the westernization of Taiwan, yet he weaves in the overall strategy used by the PRC so that Taiwan will eventually return to the fold (p112). And in Chap 8, a 12-page analysis on why Taiwanese were allowed to create wholly owned factories in the Xiamen SEZ, directly across the Taiwan Straits in Fujian province, PRC. This book is great because it identifies the younger CCP lieutenants that one needs to watch as they gain experience and power. Furthermore in the 13-page Chap 13, he discusses why the greater HK / Canton / Shenzhen SEZ / Guangdong province area will be the first megalopolis that truly will embrace capitalism with Chinese characteristics. The industrial infrastructure is alive and well all united with the Cantonese dialect; the 5th ASEAN Tiger is ready to move. And finally in 15-page next to the last Chap 18, he explains the changes in politics, society, and culture that will take place during China's coming out period that will last through this decade. The author and translator have created an understandable read, one that has deciphered the seemingly conflicting news bytes that are in American press. One that makes it easier to see the forest and the trees, yet helping the reader understand the telltales so you can watch them bend as the wind blows.

Just this year, I see that Wal-Mart is selling refrigerators made by Haier, which is direct from the emerging Chinese capitalists in the PRC. This is the first consumer harbinger with a PRC brand name. This breaks the tradition of OEM contract manufacturing, first of clothing, shoes, and toys, then upscale to TVs, VCRs, and stereo gear. Now China is superceding the OEM manufacture of high tech computer components which are in-magnanimously buried underneath the "Intel inside" sticker on PC cases, which have been made in the PRC all through the 90s. The "Made in China" sticker is being flagerantly and ubiquitously waved in front of the world.

Undeniably since 2K, the march with "China Inc" has begun. After taking some lessons from history and reading van Kemanade's book, it becomes obvious in predicting the events to come. As aptly alluded to in David Sheff's new book (0-06-000599-8), the WTO gates have rang open a year ago (9/01); the modern Marco Polo shall be wise to heed the new adage, "Go east, young man, go east to China!"

I picked this book up at ..., not really knowing what to expect. To my surprise, I ended up with a very detailed account of the economic and political situation in greater China (eastern continental Asia plus Japan, basically).

To begin with, this book really shows how the economic situation dominates the politics and realities of China. The incomplete transformation to a market economy where it is now legal, and even encouraged, to strive for profit is discussed throughout the book at varying levels. Keep in mind that China is still Communist - competition and striving for profit/growth is only somewhat the antithesis of Marxist theory. Reversing Mao's egalitarianism in favor of Deng's "those who can, get rich and it will trickle down" is something that has led to corruption and lack of moral guidance for most Chinese.

It also contains a good portrayal of the conflict between the gerontocracy and the younger (heh, 55-65 being young) generation more inclined to quicker and more complete economic reform. The government's ever changing policy on Confucianism, for example, illustrates the current problem the Communists are having coming up with ideology for the changing situation. This is discussed especially near the end of the book (including some nice information about new folk heroes).

The discussion on Communist theory displays some arguments that since China was never capitalist, they cannot proceed along the normal historical dialectic. I found this quite interesting. It seems the Chinese argue out of everything with paper-thin ideology, which is a recurring theme in this book - regarding relations with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, America, just about everyone (including internal criticism of government policy).

An important topic also discussed in this book is the nature of the neonationalism present in Chinese today, as well the probable nature of China's Communism in the future. It is suggested that the Communism will evolve to where it is political repression that is the rule, but that out of necessity economic freedom will be increasingly common. This will create problems for the Communist system, even as it attempts to reform itself. The translation is well done, and the statistics are also handled well.

Oh, and for those who have been complaining about the second half of the book dealing with China's economic zones - I really found that part of the book to be the most informative. I assume most of us had very little knowledge of the northeast/xinjiang compared with our knowledge of Taiwan or Hong Kong. There was a good portrayal of Chinese racial relations with the Islamic portion to the west, and in the east with the Russians and Koreans. It was also interesting to learn more about the slow-motion invasion of the Siberia by the Chinese. This involves mass migration and illegal immigration, basically taking over towns that used to be Russian and turning the Russians into the lesser beings (as opposed to the imperialist notions circa old Shanghai), i.e. the mistreated waitresses and desperate barterers traveling to escape the economic problems in Russia itself. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the subject matter and the will to learn a great deal about internal politics and conflict, as well as the economics signified by the "Inc." in the title.

Mr. van Kemenade, a journalist who has lived in mainland China for twenty years, has firsthand knowledge of Chinese history and society. He has written a detailed discussion about China's dynamic goal-oriented society, and about China's willingness to use long-term planning and almost ruthless determination to accomplish societal goals.

Mr. van Kemenade discusses how China's internal economy is increasingly controlled by centralized planning. Mr. van Kemenade also discusses China's economic relationships with Taiwan, with China's neighbors, and with the world.

China is the United States' largest trading partner. Every month our debt to China increases. This accumulating debt is a real and major transfer of wealth from the United States to China. We cannot assess the true cost until the bill comes due.

Overall this is a good book, but it's big, chock full of facts and statistics. It helps to have some background knowledge of many of the figures involved. Still, most of the book is well written (or translated), so that the recitation of facts and statistics don't impede your reading at all.

In the first half of the book, Kemenade covers not just China, but China's relations with Taiwan and Hong Kong, and how those two `tigers' have dealt with the biggest power in the East. He certainly brings out the intractability and the inflexibility of the China's ruling elite on the matter of Taiwan's independence. And they show a shocking lack of sensitivity in order to save face - in the Qiandao incident, where close to 50 Taiwanese tourists were murdered, the mainland Chinese authorities were inhumanly hostile to the bereaved relatives, and refused to accept any responsibility at all. Actions like those that will do nothing to make the mainland endearing to the Taiwanese.

But it is also clear that the mainland authorities are capable of great patience and subtlety in their aim of achieving reunification with Taiwan. For instance, Kemenade illustrates how China has been encouraging Taiwanese businesses to invest heavily in the mainland over the past years so as to increase Taiwan's independence on the mainland. And he goes further, showing how ambivalent the Taiwanese are about business investment in China, and the measures politicians have taken to stem the flow of money to the mainland.

Kemenade deals neatly with the simmering regional/central issues on the mainland itself. He discusses in a fair amount of detail how the massive economic growth of "special economic zones" is creating centrifugal pressures on China's traditional unitary state. China may be politically centralised, but it is economically becoming a federation. He points out how in the area of tax collection, the local authorities are strong and central authorities weak; and the extent to which the local authorities - particularly in the rich provinces - are resisting tax collection by the central government.

Unfortunately, the second half of Kemenade's book is much less convincing or even interesting to read. This is very unfortunate.

Kemenade covers the economics of the Northeast of China, an area rarely discussed by modern commentators. He discusses mainly the investment of the other Asian economies, like Japan and South Korea, into the Northeast, often thought of as an industrial wasteland. The problem for me here was that the earlier chapters on Hong Kong and Taiwan were so compelling and comprehensive that this later chapter about the Northeast of China paled by comparison.

Kemenade has little to say about Russia-China relations. I got the impression that Kemenade was saying that the Chinese do not feel as threatened by the Russians as the Russians do by the Chinese. This would seem to be a result of the economic and political confidence of the Chinese. This is plausible. Unfortunately, his evidence for this point was very weak.

Given Kemenade's generally full coverage of China's domestic problems, his discussion of the Tiananmen Square massacre is surprisingly superficial. Although he gives you some of the political intrigue behind the scenes - and it is Li Peng who emerges as the real villain - he doesn't discuss in any depth the events leading up to the massacre. That's a bit disappointing.

There has been some criticism that Kemenade only deals with the `how' and not the `why' of mainland China's policies, but this seems superficial. The approach Kemenade takes is to show us by illustration, rather than spoon-feed us. His book requires you to make up your own mind. On the other hand, there is some truth in the criticism, particularly in the second half of the book, and I would have liked to have seen a little more focussed discussion.

Although there is a plethora of books on China there are few books on Taiwan and fewer still on relations between the two countries. Kemenade is to be thanked for taking up the challenge of such a daunting subject. He realizes that Taiwan can't be understood without looking at its overlarge, over-testosteroned neighbor. Kemenade excels at explaining the intricate business relationship between China and Taiwan. Despite constant worries of invasion from China, Taiwanese businessmen flock to China to make their fortune. On one hand China tries to keep Taiwan locked in a diplomatic cage, but on the other hand Taiwan is the third largest investor in China, and would probably be the second if Taiwan's government didn't actively discourage investment on the mainland. One of the few books on Chian that I have reread and will likely read again. Admittedly, not the best summary of China but what book under 1,000 pages is. Kemendae gives you the facts to make your own conclusions about what is happening in Greater China.

I spent a lot of time in Indonesia from '94 - '97. When I first arrived, I had nothing but I found a previously-enjoyed '91 edition in a Bukittingi bookstore. What really set it apart from the "other" guidebook company was the entertaining and tremendously informative prose. It was obvious that Bill really knew Indonesia in depth - this was not just a book for directions and place to sleep, but an immersive experience to curl up with at night and really learn about where your future rambling should take you!

I still have this book, and I do flip through it once in a while and reminisce......

The only thing to ask now is: what has Bill been up to lately? The last edition is '95 - ancient history by guidebook standards!

This is the best, funniest and most consistent guide to Indonesia. I remember on my first visit to Indonesia back in 92, the Handbook was still banned under Indonesian law. One day my wife and I were visiting the great temple at Borobodur, central Java, and we noticed the local guide was carrying a strapping guidebook in his hand. I surreptitiously noted the title, and later visited a bookshop to check it out. I was in for a surprise - the 'official' guidebook was none other than the illegal Indonesia Handbook: different publisher, title and a pseudonymous author, but the same book alright. If you like that kind of approach to a small problem of censorship, then you'll love this book.

While at first look this book may seem very well-written and detailed, describing many remote regions of Indonesia that other guidebooks ignore, much of the description of such remote places is obviously based on hearsay.
When visiting many of those remoter islands/regions during my 4 years around Indonesia, I very often found that the exciting attractions (like traditional architecture or traditional cultures) described by this book simply did not exist!
Having not been there himself, the author must just have made them up. :-)
While the background information on better-known parts of the country is more accurate and worth reading, the fact that many parts of this book don't seem to have been updated for decades further reduces its value.
So I would say that for background information the regional guides by Periplus are better, while for practical travel details get the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.

I bought this book in Jakarta, where I live, since I wanted an updated book for my business travels around Indonesia. There have been so many changes in this country during the past two years that you need the latest information. Bill Dalton ("Indonesia Handbook" etc. etc.) and Kal Muller (the "Passport Regional Guide" series, etc. etc.) have separately written some of the best guidebooks available on Indonesia. But I was disappointed with this one. Its beautiful, to be sure, with fantastic photos by Muller (many of which are found in this other books). Its a perfect bedtime companion, and a very good introduction to the complexity of cultures and sights in Indonesia. It will help you determinine where you want to go --- and don't you ever want to go after reading this book. But the book will not help you how to get there or where to stay. For instance: there are no hotels mentioned in Nusa Dua on Bali or any hotel outside of Mataram on Lombok, or outside of the major cities on Sumatra. And most hotel prices do not reflect the past two years drastic inflation. I would recommend travellers to Indonesia to wait for the next edition of Indonesia Handbook, or buy Muller's very detailed regional books (my favourites). But then again, the book is beautiful, so you might want to pick it up just to dream away about paradise.

A Canadian friend got me to abandon my English teaching business in Madrid for the promise of an "oil patch" job in Indonesia in 1980. I can still hear him today "The first thing to get when you go through London, is get Dalton's Indonesian Handbook. Don't wait until Singapore or Jakarta - it's banned out there.

So this young man did indeed go east. The job my friend assured would be waiting was nationalized in the few months the intervened between our vinos in Madrid. "I hope you didn't come all this way just to work for..." read his letter I picked up Post Restante in Penang. Undeterred I managed to find another and better oil patch job. I spent the next three years working out of Jakarta and Balikpapan - Kalimantan's Jewel in the Jungle.

And I used the Indonesian Handbook extensively. Across Java, the lakes of Sumatra, Bali and Lombok and my favorite Indonesian destination: Tanta Toraja in central Sulawasi. (If you see just one thing on the archipelago, see Torajaland.) This backpacker, now a newly minted expatriate executive, always took the old black cover edition on his business trips.

So why do I like Dalton's book - and the Handbook travel series in general? I really appreciate the concise yet detailed "briefs" of key subjects. One small example . During a visit to Yogakakarta, I became interested in batik. A quick read of Dalton's brief two page "primer" I learned the history, fabric and style types. And I leaned a half a dozen key Indonesian terms. When I hit the market I was amazed at how well I could get the vendors' attention. Novice bargaining by Westerners is typically based on price. Savvy Asian peddlers know this. They usually display or direct a foreigner's attention to inferior goods. Experienced market hunters will talk quality first. The Handbook's brief's quickly got me up to speed fast - and got me some great batik pieces at great prices.

I often contrast the Moon Handbooks with more popular Lonely Planet series. Marketed as a "travel survival guide" that's exactly what LP guides are. But surviving is only the first phase in traveling. Perhaps that why the LP books have become the "backpackers bible." But if you are looking to do more than eat and sleep in Indonesia, give Dalton's Indonesian Handbook a try.

At least one of the reviewers on this list was unkind about the book, but I think it only fails, in the manner that all single-volume histories do, by trying to cover so much in so little. I have only read the unrevised 1990 Penguin paperback and only after I had already worked in Hong Kong in the early 90's. I wish I had read it before I went there, because it would have helped me to make sense of the total assault on the senses that HK is.
If you want, or need, to have more context than a guidebook will provide, this is where you will get it.

Two lions made of bronze guard the entrance of the old Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building on the Bund in Shanghai. One looks cross, the other one snarls. Their paws shine from the touch of thousands of hands. Many people hope that some of the lions' power (and some of the bank's wealth) will rub off on them. The two guards of good fortune even had names once. In the 19th century, the snarler was called Stephen, and the cross lion was called Stitt in honor of their resemblance to two senior managers at the bank's offices in Hong Kong.

This piece of trivia is part of the fun of reading Jan Morris's "Hong Kong: Epilogue to an Empire". As the subtitle suggests, the main focus of the book is on the British influence in Hong Kong. This is particularly evident in the four chapters that deal with selected periods of the history of Hong Kong: (1) the 1840s when Hong Kong was founded on a barren island as the base for British drug trafficking into China, (2) the 1880s when the colony and the British Empire were at the pinnacle of their power, (3) the 1920s when Shanghai began to eclipse the city, and (4) the 1940s when Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese and later became the refuge for Chinese (many of them entrepreneurs from Shanghai) who fled the Communist revolution in China. The historical chapters are well-researched, and Morris enjoys elaborating on the quirks of the British in Hong Kong. The historical chapters are embedded in five chapters that take a more anecdotal look at the social, cultural, administrative, and economic aspects of life in Hong Kong. The chapter on administration is aptly named "Control Systems". Not surprisingly for Hong Kong, the most extensive and interesting chapter deals with business and the economy. "Means of Support" is a very understated title for this aspect of life in Hong Kong. It would be more fitting to call it "Get rich quick". Jan Morris knows how to sprinkle delightful illustrations of Chinese industriousness and entrepreneurial talent into her tale. With a smirk she revels in the "endless variety of ingenuity, given to the world by such splendid-sounding concerns as "the Grand Dragon Universal Sales Company, the Ever-Rich Industrial Company, or the perhaps unfortunately named Flying Junk Industrial Company Ltd."

The book has only two shortcomings. One is the fact that most parts of the book have been written in 1987, and only minor revisions were added in 1997, just before Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of China. To understand today's Hong Kong, the epilogue to an empire ought to be appended by a prologue to an uncertain future. The other shortcoming is the effect of Ms. Morris's expatriate perspective on Hong Kong. Her point of view omits many aspects that shape the life of the Chinese who have always been the majority of the city's inhabitants. There is still some truth in William Somerset Maugham's observation in the 1920s: the vast majority of foreign residents has not the slightest notion what is happening among the Chinese masses. Yet, in defense of Ms. Morris I want to state that she writes about what she knows best - and that is a writer's job.

Currently Ms. Morris's book is the best work about the vibrant, greedy, contradictory, and ultimately inscrutable city of Hong Kong, a place where it seems that only the temporary is permanent (except for the constant, ubiquitous noise of jack-hammers maybe), nothing is rooted and everyone is trying to move on. There is no simple denominator for this city and its inhabitants.

Having lived in Hong Kong for half a year, I can recommend Jan Morris's book as an entertaining introduction to the history and character of this fascinating city. I have enjoyed her Western perspective and her sense of humor as evidenced in her illustration why the Hong Kong Chinese are opportunists of genius: "When communal lavatories were first installed in Hong Kong, Chinese entrepreneurs took to sitting on them for so long that people were obliged to bribe them to come off."

At least one of the reviewers on this list was unkind about the book, but I think it only fails, in the manner that all single-volume histories do, by trying to cover so much in so little. I have only read the unrevised 1990 Penguin paperback and only after I had already worked in Hong Kong in the early 90's. I wish I had read it before I went there, because it would have helped me to make sense of the total assault on the senses that HK is.
If you want, or need, to have more context than a guidebook will provide, this is where you will get it.

If lace doilies could read, they'd love Jan Morris. Yes, she's a facile writer. Her sentences are at once both sinewy and elegant, and her book is rich with detail. However, reading Hong Kong by Jan Morris is like surveying the wreckage after a car bomb explodes a national archive. Miles of shelves have dumped their contents; and all the pages have been blown off their bookbindings. What remains are heaps of torched and scattered passages having little to no connection, except in catastrophic coincidence. To think of it another way, imagine learning animal husbandry by studying the floor of the butcher shop: odd scraps of meat, tangled ligaments, knotty tendons, and splattered blood. Collectively, they suggest "animal," but all the meaning and life has been stripped away. No one is going to learn to raise pigs that way. Similarly, I couldn't understand Hong Kong by reading Hong Kong. Perhaps I'm too harsh. Her book was neither a terrorist act nor even a massacre. In fact, at times her flowery writing is intoxicating. Nevertheless, I got the feeling that in her mind, Morris writes to seduce William F. Buckley, Jr., and that's just sick.

I read and re-read this book over and over again while living in Hong Kong in the late nineteen nineties, both before and after the end of British rule.

I found it both an absorbing, exciting read, and a useful practical guide - I explored many parts of Hong Kong after first reading about them in this book - for example, some of the more remote peaks of the New Territories where there are wonderful hiking trails set up in British days, full of beauty and history (they are Hong Kong's best kept secret - the only antitidote for the city's overcrowding). Also, the author's description of the ceaseless (aargh!) jack-hammering in urban areas is almost poetic (every expat's nightmare).

Her description of Western expatriate life is informative and amusing - and accurate - some expats resent this kind of blunt description!

Her account of the Chinese population must not be missed as she goes into great detail of the sad and poignant refugee movement that sent millions of Chinese fleeing into Hong Kong from mainland China to become the city's residents of today - if you are going to Hong Kong (or are simply interested), do take this book along, as the refugee status of the population is a very painful subject (understandably) for Hong Kong Chinese and you will here little about it in post - handover Hong Kong, but an essential element in understanding how the place ticks.

Like many wonderful, accurate books about Hong Kong (Timothy Mo's the Monkey King; Paul Theroux's Kowloon Tong - read those if you like this one), Jan Morris's Hong Kong can be a painful read for some - Hong Kong's sad history of insecurity ensures that. But the detached reader, with this book, is in for a truly enjoyable experience that will be both a wealth of information and insight. Cracking good prose, too. UK edition is updated to 1997.

When awakening happens, life reveals surprising things, disturbing things. Wei Wu Wei (pen name of a European guy) explains in circles what cannot be explained. Whether you already realized or not, read this book. And prepare some aspirin. Lots of it. Or maybe you will laugh at the attempt ? It's up to you. Or maybe not ;).
Namaste

If you are drawn to cleverness, intellectual excessiveness, and a confounding ability to make the simple seem hopelessly complicated, then this book is for you!!!
Otherwise try "I Am That" or "The Science of Enlightenment", both of which will take you down the rabbit hole of non-duality/Advaita with grace, charm and simplicity.

I bought this after hearing that Wei Wu Wei gave the clearest description of Non Duality. This book is way too complex to be any fun to read. I have loved Nathan Gill and Tony Parsons etc, but this one is an excercise
in little used language by folks that consider themselves "the intelligencia" of spiritual madness. Even after 30 years of spiritual study, I found it frustrating. After reading two chapters, it is on a shelf waiting to be donated to good will.

WOW! This slim volume is very heavy(!), did I say heavy? This work is phenomenal(!) but(whoa unto you)VERY abstract...trust me when I say this. It must be read very, very slowly and each paragraph must be contemplated upon for quite sometime. Wei is not for the faint-hearted and not a starting point for the beginner of non-dualistic thought. Please read elsewhere gentle reader, and when you are ready - really ready for truth spoken at the most inclusive and abstruse level then - and only then - prepare yourself for a feast which will de-cloak all that you have held near and dear about what you erroneously have concluded about "reality".

Wei Wu Wei is one the true zen masters so I think, read his books and know for your self, as other reviewer wrote,truth is not for everyone, you have to be strong mentally to know it. All his books say it lucidly (pun intended). Just read the book, if you are searching for answers about god, about your self, this book will end your search.

Many books no matter are written on Advaita or Buddhism for that matter. Please go ahead and read them, then take this book and read it. You will see a difference, the difference is that,this author makes an effort in making you understand something so profound.

Some concepts are easy to understand, some aren't, this book is meant for those who are are looking for answers and who can think. If you are in the lookout for a bed time story book, better stay away from it else, you will be writing a review that this book is a disappointment.

If you are a beginner in eastern philosophy look else where.

It's good if you're intrested at just a quick look into other asian manga. But i would recommend other books. It has good pictures, very detailed. But because the styles are very similar it's better to get just Manga or just Manhua.

I fell in love with this book and i am obsessed with D.K's artwork! But i must admit that one or two art pieces were kinda shocking to be put in. Mainly on page 50 done by MAXX, although i love the rest of his work. It wasn't that i was grossed out by it though, it just means that it seemed completely different then all his other works put in there. Then again, it might just be me.

This book is positively incredible! If it sold for 30 bucks i would still have bought it! For someone like myself who aspires to work in the animation field it helps with ideas, work, and overall is just fun to look at every time.

It contains artwork of every area truly! Pop-art, Realism, Anime (of course), and mixes of everything else! Even if someone did not like anime/manga/manhwa/manhua one would still love the greatness of the art itself. It shines a brighter light on how hard and diverse the asian arts can be nowadays.

This book is awesome, if you are a fan of manga or Japanese anime art styles this is must have book. There are many great artist in the book that show their work process. Being able to see how these artist work was great. I definately recommend this book for any fan of Japanese art and especially to artist.

Manga/ anime fans interested in pursuing this genre of drawing comics are recommended to get this book. It provides a quick glimpse to different forms and interpretation of the asian comic-art genre with different mediums (digital, traditional) and illustration styles.

There are 12 artists featured in the book and though the title of the book may suggest submissions from China/ Korea / Japan with equal emphasis, the book predominantly features artists from Japan; with 3 entries from Korea and only 1 from Hong Kong.

Despite this, I still think it's a worthy purchase with its glossy full colored prints and brief insight on how the artists achieve the result of their artwork. I enjoyed the book, often re-read it and was a good source of inspiration. Some artists' level of details and realism are astounding, and it's good to know that some are already industry professionals. Looking forward to a 2nd release!

I gave it five stars because I just love manga, as many people do. I have lots of books on the subject, but what I really liked about this one was the varied drawings of different artists. It really gives you a big idea about how manga is structured. You have a certain way of drawing things and people, but you're free in the way you draw them. Different styles of the same things; it really is amazing. I enjoyed Comic Artists- Asia, and continue to enjoy it every time I read it again!

I didn't use a guide much while I was there but when I did, I found my Frommer's guide to be much more interesting, attractive and well structured.

I never use a guide to find restaurants, hotels or any of the major tourist attractions, as I can do all of that on my own. But I count on my guides to lead me to interesting things that I would never see if I didn't have one - the out of the way spots. This book definitely didn't help me with that and most of the things that it includes I could have figured out for myself in about the first 20 minutes of arriving in my hotel.

The Frommer's guide on the other hand inspired me to venture into the unknown and see some really wonderful things that I wouldn't have otherwise. But that's just me and other people obviously like this book, so it probably just boils down to personal preference, just like most things!

I used the sixth (2006) edition of the ROUGH GUIDE TO HONG KONG & MACAU during a recent two-week stay in Hong Kong. Reading it before my trip, I found it to portray Hong Kong as a fascinating and immense place to visit, where one can spend weeks covering all manner of out of the way places. This was a great contrast to the Berlitz guide to Hong Kong I also took along, which make the region seem like a two-day stop where the only interesting thing is shopping.

There's a chapter each on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories, and the outlying islands. The description of each town or wilderness inside these divisions takes the form of a walking tour. The authors guide the reader through the streets well, and like all Rough Guides the maps here are clear and accurate. I unfortunately didn't visit Macau, so I cannot comment on that portion of the guide.

I didn't use the accommodation listings, as like many travelers I prefer to stay with local from hospitality associations for closer contact with the local culture. As the Rough Guide does not cover this option, I have removed one star from my rating. However, there does indeed seem to be an adequate amount of both budget and luxury accommodation, with the stops in between of course. The needs of shoestring travelers are not given short shrift here, as in the offerings of all too many guidebook publishers. I did use the recommendations for restaurants, which do a great job of steering travelers to hole-in-the-wall eateries with little English signage which might not look fancy, but which show you the real Hong Kong in a way flashier places don't.

At the end of the book one finds a history of the region, as well as some general information on Hong Kong culture. The history soberly discusses the uncertainty of Hong Kong's true autonomy after the handover, while other guidebooks I read gave only a rosy view. In these appendices there's also a list of films and books, fiction and non-fiction, about Hong Kong, letting the reader learn more about the place before he visits.

If you're an independent travelver going to Hong Kong, I'd certainly recommend ROUGH GUIDE TO HONG KONG & MACAU. I find it better than the Lonely Planet guide due to the range of its listings and the quality of its maps, and light years ahead of the paltry listings and assumption that the reader is a millionaire which one finds in many other guidebook lines.

This book gives ou a nice overview of the region, and incredible specific tips for visiting HK and Macau.

Great walking tours are included in this Rough Guide to Hong Kong and Macau-the directions are explicit and easy to follow and the places to which we ventured exceeded expectations. There were GREAT shopping tips for a shopping mecca and we scored on several fronts! This is a great way to introduce yourself to Hong Kong and Macau before you get there and a great way to bring what you read into reality. A must-buy for travel to Asia.

I recommend this guide, it was quite useful.

The descriptions of various areas were quite accurate, and the maps were mostly very good. The one of Macau seemed to have some minor errors, but that place is very confusing to walk around, so it could have been me. Anyway, you want the maps in this book or something pretty good, because the free tourist map is basically worthless.

I really like Rough Guides, because their reviews are very honest and balanced, and they are excellent about cross-referencing recommended locations, restaurants, hotels, etc and maps in each book. This guide is up to the same high standards, so it was very easy to use.

I would recommend that the walking tours guide (available for free at the airport, etc) is a good supplement to this guide. I used it extensively.

This book is alright if you want a brief outline of the art, but it is not a complete guide or all inclusive. The movements are made simple, but the application is very unrealistic in parts. The book is broken down into 2 parts. The first is solo movements and the second is the application of them. Can't recommend it for anything other than an introduction of the art and the history within.

I dont know about others but i enjoyed this book extremely. It has alot of moves in it to practice (i just went through and picked out the ones that involved drunken movements though). The pictures are a little small though, but they do have a good system of telling you when to slow down or speed up your movements. The fighting style itself is often seen as useless, and while it might not be the most affective style, practice anything long and hard enough and youll get good, also if your fast and strong it can actually be of use. Remember have fun practice hard and keep drinking!

This technique is a lot easier if you skip all the Kung Fu stuff and concentrate on the drinking.

there are two types of drunken boxing: the traditional and the contemporary. the traditional is the type where you can use it on real fights. the contemporary is just for show. the effectiveness on real fights may or may not really work. this book teaches contemporary. but even though you may not use this in a real fight, it still is fun to do.

Anyone planning a trip to Hong Kong would be wise to pick up a copy of this book. I recently returned from a two-week exploration of the SAR, and I found this book to be invaluable. Not only did it give me maps and all the essentials, but it gave me insight into the people and culture that surrounded me. The only thing I found lacking was the glossary of Chinese phrases.

While the book is older than some, and may be in some regards a bit out of date (hint to publisher - bring out a revised version), for instance some of the restaurants no longer exist, I found this to be the best book (and I brought many with me). The recommendations are solid, the highlighted points of interest are the most consistant (and often off-beat) and the essays and comments are the best (this is the only book for instance that explained why bamboo is used as scaffolding),

This is 1 of the 2 tour guides I recommend for Hong Kong besides Fodor's. As a local who grew up and used to live in Hong Kong, I was both surprised and excited about how much foreigners can dig deep through this city. Post-colonial Hong Kong still preserves the heart-beat of Chinese heritage underneath the burgeoning veneer of high-tech development and finances.

The official airline of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific unveiled its newest operation logo couple of years back with slogan "Heart of Asia". The Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) strived to revive tourism that was correlated with the regionwide stock market plunge in 1997 by launching the campaign "Hong Kong: City of Life" in 1998 to attract visitors. Featured was a 7-day-6-night package from the US including airfare and hotel for $899 including tax.

Dubbed "Heart of Asia" and "City of Life", this volume of "Hong Kong Handbook" will surely be your pocket guide to explore this exotic capital of Asia. The book included history and remarkable events associated with this newest Chinese SAR (Special Administrative Region), along with its rich mixed cultures and lifestyles.

In addition to the usual tips on fine dining, hotels from 5-star to no-star, shopping bargains and transportation, this handbook devotes incredible amount of pages on almost all the districts within the city. It would be a tremendous loss for any Hong Kong visitor to stay in central (downtown) area and the usual tourist spot like The Peak, Ocean Park and Po Lin Monastery. This handbook guides you to local areas like Mongkok, Yaumatei, and even outlying islands Po Toi Island, Tung Ping Chau, and Cheung Chau. One of the preserved wildlife area, Sai Gung Peninsula, is illustrated with lucid photos. You might wish to allocate 3-4 days hiking through the trails that provides panoramic view of the South China Sea.

The Hong Kong Handbook offers more than just a packaged tour can satisfy. You might completely stay away from urban areas and venture through monasteries or explore one of the biggest man-made water reservoir Plover Cove. The border with mainland is just 15 miles from the main financial center. The guide would be a must-have for those who wish to see the other side of Hong Kong.

As someone who lived in Hong Kong in the 90s and revisited on business since, I'd like to point out that this is a good guide book for the basics :Where to stay, what places to eat at, how to get around. It gives good coverage of the hikes in the unspoiled northern New Territories (Plover Cove, The Hunchbacks-Ma On Shan area, Stanley Mound - these are some of the most scenic walks in the world). You will be able to fit your budget with this guide. But where it is not so helpful is in the practical realities of life in Hong Kong - what you have to put up with in this crowded, not very happy city in China. Many tourists and expats are shocked by the not very gentle, wall-to-wall crowds of people in Hong Kong, a legacy of the terrible flood of millions of Chinese refugees who poured into China in the decades after the Chinese Revolution, swamping the tiny British colony. Much of Hong Kong's urban parts consist of miles of 40-storey tower blocks of shabby concrete. *Other books* (see below) will help you get a handle on these issues, which dominates all levels of life in Hong Kong, including especially the level of your comfort. Hong Kong people are understandably reluctant to talk about their refugee past; it is considered rude to refer to the shabbyness of much of urban Hong Kong (it causes loss of "face" in Chinese society), but, since it has such an impact on the visitor's stay today, knowing about such essential basics of Hong Kong will help make your trip/domicile more pleasant and rewarding.

Jan Morris's book, Hong Kong, has all the history and colourful anecdotes you'll want to know, brilliantly told in a good narrative. She goes into a lot of detail about the sad story of all those millions of refugees, how they survived, exploiting each other in a sweat-shop environment under a thin veneer of British law, which made Hong Kong so different from the dictatorships around it. There's also the whole story of the British, with lots of good anecdotes. Since she's a Westerner she does not have the obsession with "losing face" that is such a dominant part of Chinese culture (she explains it very well, though) and can lead to denying the truth when it comes to the realities of Hong Kong.

Timothy Mo's The Monkey King is a great story about a Hong Kong Chinese family through several generations. As a Westerner I was astonished at how helpful this book was in "preparing me" for the interesting types of locals I met again and again.

Bo Yang's The Ugly Chinaman and the Crisis in Chinese Culture is a harder, unblinking look at the underbelly of Chinese society - the pushy crowds, the harsh language, the public spitting that Hong Kong is unfortunately well-known for. If you're bringing young family to Hong Kong, pick this book up along with Jan Morris's. It will help you deal with your kids' reaction to some (to us) bizzare aspects of Chinese society - the drug stores selling Chinese natural medicines made from animal reproductive parts, ...and can help you talk to your children the first time they see locals spit, belch and break wind in public. Bo Yang's book goes into the long history of stultification of society in Chinese history under the centuries of repressive rulers. It is a sad but enlightening read, and will make you appreciate more the classics of Chinese culture: the poetry of Li Po and Tu Fu, the novel The Story of the Stone, Confucius, etc.

Paul Theroux's Kowloon Tong is a fascinating novel of the Handover period that neatly captures many Hong Kong types - Chinese, British, even American. A great Graham Greene-ish novel that is also a great guide to Handover Hong Kong and beyond.

And Austin Coates' Hong Kong classic, Myself a Mandarin, tells the illuminating, often hilarious tale of a 1950s British Magistrate dealing with Chinese culture in the (then) unspoilt countryside of the New Territories, and the inevitable clash (What do you do when there's no real concept of "libel" in Chinese thought?). Still relevant to today.

Many people wish Hong Kong to suceed since its handback to China, but the Western visitor/expat will be better served by learning what he or she is actual in for, than to be given essentially a tourist bureau pamphlet, as some of the following reviews seem to do. The books above, along with the Moon Guide, will help prepare you for what you'll actually experience. Good voyage!

Much more readable and concise than the very detailed and specialized multi-volume publications on HK since 1997 by Civic Exchange. Especially good for newcomers to Hong Kong thanks to the glossary at the back which explains all the Tungs, Tangs, Tongs, political groupings etc. Not having read his blog before, I enjoyed the sometimes sarcastic tone of this book then found the blog quite a shock! Readers interested in China may also find this book interesting because he shows how China is tightening its grip in some areas but not all, and this may give us a clue about how the government will act as mainland cities become more open and prosperous.

Having read the blog for several years, I was anticipating an interesting read. Unfortunately, by comparison, the book length doesn't suit the author as well as the essay form. Some topics are drowned by a welter of details, while in general terms the pre-1997 years are handled much better than the post-handover period. Like many first time authors, the writer could have used a strong editor. Stick to the blog, which, though repetitive, does at least raise the occasional smile.

Readers of Hemlock's daily blog will be surprised at the seriousness of this tome compared to the sarcasm of the blog. This book surverys government and society since 1997, a turbulent ten years of externally inflicted pain - financial crises, SARS etc - mixed with locally inflicted pain - Article 23, Cyberport, appointed councillors etc - and advances the theory that the system of government developed by an unloved foreign power - Britain - is being continued by China, but is no longer appropriate for a modern society such as Hong Kong.
A mercifully brief primer for anyone who needs to understand Hong Kong or China.

"Hemlock" is the nom de plume of a Hong Kong blogger who has been resident there for many years and has gained access to a lot of interesting people. I think he's some kind of journalist. He's been writing a blog for a few years now and it's very funny - very satirical, with great observations about Hong Kong politics and daily life. In later years he has been focussing more on the futile struggle for universal suffrage in Hong Kong, and the link between high land prices, government collusion with property developers, and a stagnating economy and political system.

But this is the problem with the book - his blog is very funny, the book is not. The book is still a very good read as it contains a lot to think about and for me it was quite eye-opening in terms of how the market in Hong Kong works. He reviews the events of the past ten years since the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, and comes to some conclusions about Hong Kong's possible polical development. His conclusions are not pretty if you are an ardent pro-democrat, but I think they are basically realistic.

In writing the book Hemlock seems to have had to resolve a conflict within himself - did he want to write in the same vein as his blog, ridiculing HK's public figures and generally having a lot of fun at other people's expense, or did he want to write something that would be taken seriously, because he clearly cares about the development of Hong Kong? He has chosen the latter, so for those of you who have come to this book after reading his blog for a while, prepare to be disappointed. Nevertheless, you should read the book anyway, especially if you have an interest in Hong Kong and China.