In this tragic and powerful story, the two Opium Wars of 1839??1842 and 1856??1860 between Britain and China are recounted for the first time through the eyes of the Chinese as well as the Imperial West. Opium entered China during the Middle Ages when Arab traders brought it into China for medicinal purposes. As it took hold as a recreational drug, opium wrought havoc on Chinese society. By the early nineteenth century, 90 percent of the Emperor's court and the majority of the army were opium addicts.
Britain was also a nation addicted-to tea, grown in China, and paid for with profits made from the opium trade. When China tried to ban the use of the drug and bar its Western smugglers from it gates, England decided to fight to keep open China's ports for its importation. England, the superpower of its time, managed to do so in two wars, resulting in a drug-induced devastation of the Chinese people that would last 150 years.
In this page-turning, dramatic and colorful history, The Opium Wars responds to past, biased Western accounts by representing the neglected Chinese version of the story and showing how the wars stand as one of the monumental clashes between the cultures of East and West.
"A fine popular account."-Publishers Weekly
"Their account of the causes, military campaigns and tragic effects of these wars is absorbing, frequently macabre and deeply unsettling."-Booklist

Have you ever felt like you were on a boat in the middle of the sea while a fierce storm was beating down upon you? You see the water lapping over the sides of your boat and you realize that you are sinking. It's a horrible feeling when you are in the midst of a trial. Fear and anxiety are overwhelming feelings! But like the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee, we need Jesus in our boat. When He is in our boat, it makes all the difference in the world. This book breaks down that wonderful story in vivid detail so that you can safely navigate through life's sudden storms. Is Jesus in your boat?

Churches can benefit from using quality practices and principles used in secular businesses. This book describes the how churches can use these methods to increase attendance and become the best that they can be.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

"Fragile Moments" is a heart moving collection of poetry. The author well named this collection when you read the poems that are inside. The truly reflect the emotions of the author, and give you a great insight into his own humanity. Truly this is a wonderful and unique collection of any poetry collector to own. Each poem has its own feel, its own soul, and with most having their own unique rhyming scheme. The author really worked hard to convey his thoughts and emotions while keeping each poem pure and original. This truly is a work of art in literature.