10-06-2025, 01:03 PM
Imperial Twilight by Stephen R. Platt Oct 6, 2025 Rating B+
A book recommendation via a podcast I listen to called Empire. This book is all about the Opium Wars. It was an eye opener to a lot of history I was vaguely aware. I didn't realize how indebted England's economy was to the Opium trade and what lengths they would go to preserve it. There is a good chunk in there about the East India Company as well. There is a fine description of the two Qing Emperors from that period, too. Platt gives a perspective from all sides, including the Americans who had their fingers in the Opium smuggling trade. ( A big chunk of the Forbes fortune comes from Opium)
Oddly, unless I had a stroke while reading, the book does not cover the major battles of the actual war. It's just kind of a footnote. It's all build up and after action report.
And there is the irony that the Chinese, in a way, are doing to us with Fentanyl what the British did to them with Opium. And they give a lot of the same excuses.
A book recommendation via a podcast I listen to called Empire. This book is all about the Opium Wars. It was an eye opener to a lot of history I was vaguely aware. I didn't realize how indebted England's economy was to the Opium trade and what lengths they would go to preserve it. There is a good chunk in there about the East India Company as well. There is a fine description of the two Qing Emperors from that period, too. Platt gives a perspective from all sides, including the Americans who had their fingers in the Opium smuggling trade. ( A big chunk of the Forbes fortune comes from Opium)
Oddly, unless I had a stroke while reading, the book does not cover the major battles of the actual war. It's just kind of a footnote. It's all build up and after action report.
And there is the irony that the Chinese, in a way, are doing to us with Fentanyl what the British did to them with Opium. And they give a lot of the same excuses.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm