The Dragon Wakes: China and the West 1793-1911

by Christopher Hibbert

Hibbert traces the relationship between China & the West from the arrival of Britain's Lord Macartney in 1793 to the start of the Revolution in 1911.

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, World History

444 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Christopher Hibbert, MC, FRSL, FRGS (5 March 1924 - 21 December 2008) was an English writer, historian and biographer. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the author of many books, including Disraeli, Edward VII, George IV, The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici, and Cavaliers and Roundheads.

Described by Professor Sir John Plumb as "a writer of the highest ability and in the New Statesman as "a pearl of biographers," he established himself as a leading popular historian/biographer whose works reflected meticulous scholarship.

Reviews

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christopher Hibbert's The Dragon Wakes is another of that prolific author's narrative histories, this time covering (as the title subtly hints) the fraught Western "opening" of China during the last century of the Qing Dynasty. Hibbert's book begins with a detailed reconstruction of the Maccartney Embassy in 1793, the first attempt by England to forge diplomatic and trade relationships with China, and which failed due to mutual distrust and cultural misunderstandings. Hibbert notes how strictly Chinese interactions with foreigners were governed and how there was little understanding or even curiosity towards foreign envoys - but that the arrogance of the European "barbarians" (such as refusing to kowtow to the Emperor) was equally offensive. For much of the book, Hibbert manages to be relatively balanced, focusing on Western (mostly British) perspective but making use of Chinese sources and voices in a way that, for its time, feels admirable and refreshingly nonjudgmental - he's quite good at illuminating the Middle Kingdom's xenophobia, and the tension between its Manchu rulers and largely Han population. Yet Hibbert always had a weakness for clean storytelling over complexity, and the blood-and-thunder of warfare, and as the book goes along it turns into a more familiar picture of clashes between China and the West (usually Britain): the Opium War, where Britain forced the trade doors open at gunpoint; the Arrow War, an Anglo-French intervention which coincided with the extraordinarily bloody Taiping Rebellion (and culminated in the destruction of the Emperor's Summer Palace, related by Hibbert in graphic detail); the Qing's belated attempts at modernization and increased imperial penetration which triggered the Boxer Rebellion and, ultimately, the establishment of a Chinese Republic. The book thus affords a readable, broad overview but rarely delves into the complexity of Chinese politics or culture of the time; even when Hibbert engages with Chinese sources, he usually defaults to the European perspective, taking odd positions like that the Opium Wars weren't about Opium per se, but free trade (perhaps technically correct, but a misnomer - exploitation of drug addiction aside, how "free" is trade forced at gunpoint?) and depicting the Dowager Empress Cixi as a Machiavellian monster. Later sections on the Boxers and the rise of Sun Yat Sen feel rather perfunctory, perhaps because Hibbert felt they were well-trod and merited no further exploration. Readers who desire a quick introduction to the topic might still find The Dragon Wakes a decent volume; those seeking a deeper understanding might engage with recent works by Stephen Platt, Jung Chang and others instead.

[Ensiform · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most lively and readable history books I have read to date. Drawing from dozens of first-hand sources, and many unpublished papers, Hibbert details the contact between China and England (other countries' stories are told too, but only in passing). From Lord Macartney's first meeting with emperor Chi-en-lung to open trade between the two countries, from the Opium War to the Boxer rebellion and the rise of Sun Yat-sen, Hibbert's book uses quote after quote to demonstrate the appalling gall and presumption of the plenipotentiaries of both nations. The Chinese, nationalistic and ignorant, were utterly purblind to the actual superiority of English power, while the official English reaction to wars with China was always to conquer more, not to attempt any comity. I had to admire the Chinese for adapting so rapidly, from fighting the English with gingalls to overcoming massive internal resistance and modernizing to meet the challenges of the West. A great book, with many vivid passages and anecdotes.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

My introduction to China, which I read in 1970s HK. Riveting.

[Anne Cupero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Hibbert is such a clear, elucidating writer, that any topic he addresses is made accessible to the reader. I enjoyed reading about this time period, and the people who were part of it. Some of these people seemed silly, but they were a product of their environment. The only thing that was shortchanged I believe, was the end of the Manchu dynasty. The author covers this in just a few pages, which could be because at the time of his writing, information might not have been available.

[Joshua Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable. Hard to imagine a more accessible book about Chinese history.

[Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should read this, very eye opening.