An epic history of the rise of China and the fall of Hong Kong to authoritarian rule. Essential reading for anyone wishing to deal with China or to understand the world in which we live. The rise of China and the fall of Hong Kong to authoritarian rule are told with unique insight in this new history by Michael Sheridan, drawing on documents from archives in China and the West, interviews with key figures and eyewitness reporting over three decades. The story takes the reader from the earliest days of trade through the Opium Wars of the nineteenth century to the age of globalisation, the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China, the fight for democracy on the city's streets and the ultimate victory of the Chinese Communist Party.

Merchants and Mandarins --Reform and opening up -- A long farewell -- The Iron Lady versus the steel factory -- A joint declaration -- The eighties -- The change -- Two journeys -- A Mandarin for all seasons -- Transitions -- To seek a wider world -- The rivals -- One country, two cultures -- Chaos under heaven -- Hunger games.