Posted By: Stephen Steffl
Posted On: October 22, 2015
"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.