'remains the standard biography of Raffles because of the sheer weight of original materials used' Singapore historian. NB no mention at all of his first wife...CMM"

A noted historian of Burma and a founder of the Burma Research Society, John Sydenham Furnivall (1878-1960) supported Burmese independence and freedom from colonial rule. However, he has been considered as Eurocentric and in favour of colonialism, in part because he saw it as a necessary stage in the improvement of certain societies. Stemming from a request in 1942 by the colonial government for Furnivall's views on reconstruction, this influential study was published in 1948. Using the Dutch East Indies as a case study for comparison, Furnivall assesses the effects of the different systems...

Born and educated in Florence, Arnold Henry Savage Landor (1867 1925) abandoned his art studies in Paris in favour of adventurous expeditions across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society from 1892, Landor was also made a member of the Royal Institution in 1897. Dismissive of specialist equipment, he embarked on extraordinary trips that often required considerable courage and endurance. Another of his publications, Alone with the Hairy Ainu (1893), is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. The present work, first published in...

Inspired by the lectures in Munich of the German orientalist Karl Friedrich Neumann, Thomas Taylor Meadows (1815-68) devoted himself to the study of Chinese in 1841, with the aim of entering British service. He arrived in China early in 1843 and rose quickly to the post of consular interpreter at the key treaty port of Canton (Guangzhou), where he remained for several years. During this time, he developed a keen understanding of Chinese affairs, shrewdly cultivating an intelligence network of amenable informants. First published in 1847, this work addresses diverse topics, ranging from the...

Described as a 'hermit nation' because it isolated itself from the rest of the world, Korea remained very little known to English speakers in the late nineteenth century. During his time in Japan, the American author and educator William Elliot Griffis (1843-1928), who did much to foster understanding between the United States and Japan, became fascinated by Korea and its influence on Japanese history and culture. This historical outline of Korea is compiled from printed sources and eyewitness accounts rather than from personal experience since Griffis was yet to visit Korea at this point....

A respected authority on Japan, William Elliot Griffis (1843-1928) did much to foster understanding between the United States and Japan in the late nineteenth century. This was his most popular work on the subject. It is arranged in two sections, with maps and illustrations throughout. The first part is a detailed history of Japan from 660 BCE, covering factual events as well as mythological elements of the Japanese past. This is followed by a personal account of the four years Griffis lived in Japan, during which the country underwent significant modernisation. Highly successful, the work...

The Prussian-born Protestant missionary Karl Friedrich August Gutzlaff (1803 51) sought to spread Christianity in the Far East. A gifted linguist, he sailed to Siam and worked on a translation of the Bible into Thai. The British missionary Robert Morrison had fired his interest in China, and Gutzlaff later focused his evangelising efforts there, learning several dialects and distributing translated literature. The present work, featuring an introductory chapter by fellow missionary William Ellis on Chinese attitudes to foreign influence, was first published in 1834. Gutzlaff had left Siam in...

Remarkable yet controversial, the Prussian-born Protestant missionary Karl Friedrich August Gutzlaff (1803 51) sought to spread Christianity in the Far East. A gifted linguist, he sailed to Siam and worked on translating the Bible into Thai. The British missionary Robert Morrison had fired his interest in China, and Gutzlaff later focused his evangelising efforts there, learning several dialects and distributing translated literature. Furthermore, he served as an interpreter for the East India Company. Also reissued in this series are his Journal of Three Voyages along the Coast of China...

Remarkable yet controversial, the Prussian-born Protestant missionary Karl Friedrich August Gutzlaff (1803 51) sought to spread Christianity in the Far East. A gifted linguist, he sailed to Siam and worked on translating the Bible into Thai. The British missionary Robert Morrison had fired his interest in China, and Gutzlaff later focused his evangelising efforts there, learning several dialects and distributing translated literature. Furthermore, he served as an interpreter for the East India Company. Also reissued in this series are his Journal of Three Voyages along the Coast of China...

Remarkable yet controversial, the Prussian-born Protestant missionary Karl Friedrich August Gutzlaff (1803 51) sought to spread Christianity in the Far East. A gifted linguist, he sailed to Siam and worked on translating the Bible into Thai. The British missionary Robert Morrison had fired his interest in China, and Gutzlaff later focused his evangelising efforts there, learning several dialects and distributing translated literature. He also worked for the East India Company, notably serving as an interpreter during negotiations for the Treaty of Nanking. Also reissued in this series are his...