Description
The Amethyst captured news headlines around the world and became an unlikely symbol of the cold war in Asia. This dramatic episode, hailed in the West as a triumph of the human spirit but bitterly condemned by the Chinese Communists, was to prejudice Anglo-Chinese relations for years to come.
Using sources not previously available, Malcolm Murfett has written a book that is much more than an account of a single incident. It provides a sweeping survey of British naval power in China, from its faltering and inept beginnings in the late 1630s right up to the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949. In explaining the importance of the Amethyst episode in the history of Anglo-Chinese naval relations, Murfett suggests that it was the final poignant break with the past.
Readers will find Hostage on the Yangtze to be a fascinating tale of high adventure, imperialistic oppression, diplomatic shortcomings, and political repercussions-a mixture that culminates in one of the most dramatic and memorable crises of the post-war world.
About the Author
Malcolm Murfett is an associate professor teaching modern British and European history at the National University of Singapore. He has a PhD from Oxford and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is the author of a number of works on naval themes, including Fool-proof Relations: The Search for Anglo-American Naval cooperation in the Chamberlain Years, 1937-40 (1985), Hostage on the Yangtze: Britain, China and the Amethyst Crisis of 1949 (1991), and the co-written Between Two Oceans: A Military History of Singapore from First Settlement to Final British Withdrawal. He is also the editor of The First Sea Lords (1999).
Book Information
ISBN 9781612514949
Author Malcolm H. Murfett
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Naval Institute Press
Publisher Naval Institute Press
Weight(grams) 446g