The Last Governor - Couverture souple

Dimbleby, Jonathan

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0751522724 ISBN 13 : 9780751522723

Editeur : Time Warner Paperbacks, 1998

Synopsis

In July 1997, Hong Kong will ceased to be a British colony and will reverted to the People's Republic of China. Five million people lost their status as British subjects and became citizens of a Special Administrative Region of the PRC. It was always clear that the last five years of British rule would be fraught with uncertainty. For this reason, the appointment of the former Chairman of the Conservative Party, Chris Patten, in June 1992 as the last governor of Hong Kong, was greeted with widespread approval. With rare and priveleged access to the governor and his team, the author provides an insight into events leading up to the handover, including reasons why relations between China and Britain were at their lowest ebb for a generation. The situation is placed in its human and historical context.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

1 July 1997 marked the end of British rule of Hong Kong, whereby this territory was passed into the hands of the People s Republic of China. In 1992, Chris Patten, former chairman of the Conservative Party, was appointed Hong Kong's last governor, and was the man to oversee the handover ceremony of this former British colony. Within the last five years of British rule, acclaimed journalist Jonathan Dimbleby was given unique access to the governor which enabled him to document the twists and turns of such an extraordinary diplomatic, political and personal drama. As Governor, Patten encouraged the necessary expansion of Hong Kong's social welfare system, striving to reconcile the basic rights and freedom of over 6 million people with the unpredictable imperatives of Beijing. Drawing on the insights of a host of senior figures, the author places the crisis in both its human and historical contexts, and presents some startling arguments about the conduct of British foreign policy on Hong Kong before and during Patten's tenure.

Revue de presse

a highly important contribution to the historical record which tells how one man, doggedly and sometimes bloody-mindedly, did his best to help and, insofar as it was possible, to save the people of Hong Kong. --Saily Telegraph

a useful contribution to history. --Asian Affairs

Dimbleby's account is naturally sympathetic to his subject but is nevertheless well-written, never boring, and a significant contribution to the history of Hong Kong. --Irish Times

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Time Warner Paperbacks
• Date d'édition: 1998
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0751522724
• ISBN 13: 9780751522723
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 576
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible