A Concise History of Hong Kong

"A Concise History of Hong Kong" gives a complete history of Hong Kong from the 1800's to modern times. It provides the reader very detailed information about this unique and fascinating part of the world. The information is very thorough which makes the book read like a college text. I enjoyed the reading and the details of aspects of Hong Kong's social, political, cultural, civic and economic history. It has had extraordinary development during is history and I was surprised at all the corruption and the Hong Kong people's sense of nationalism. I found the history of Hong Kong during and following World War II to be fascinating. I had very limited knowledge of the what was going on when Great Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997. One of the most intriguing parts of the text was "Countdown to 1997" which covered how this transition took place between the two governments and the effects on the people of Hong Kong. I think the book is well written and gives a clear and thorough account of the people who live in Hong Kong and their desire to be Hong Kongese throughout their turbulent history. I would recommend the book for high school and college students studying Asia. Understanding the history of Hong Kong is interwoven with knowledge of historical aspects China, Great Britain, and other western and Asian countries.

Very well written, highly detailed account of the rises, the falls and all the changes in between as Hong Kong grew to what we see the city as today. Found it well worth the effort to reading.. As a person who grew up in the 1970s in the United States, my history classes regarding China simply did not exist, but the Concise History of Hong Kong opened my eyes to the many deals made internationally by the US and Britian that had a major impact upon the development both economically as well as morally upon the development of Hong Kong.
While many members of the Hong Kong people attempted to turn things around, corruption, warfare and political subterfuge all played out in the city. disturbing was learning about the profits made from the manufacture and sale of drugs, prostitution and denial of civil rights to both native and immigrant peoples. It is easy to compare many of the events that happened causing the wealthy to remain on top and the working poor to become a stable class to the events here in the US. This text would be of greatest use for those teaching high school and beyond.