The contribution of the overseas Chinese, particularly from Southeast Asia (Nanyang), to China's early modernization constitutes an important and neglected chapter in Chinese history. During the same years which saw the emergence of the Reform and Revolutionary movements, the ruling Manchu government also turned to the overseas Chinese for needed capital and expertise. Exposed to Western values and often successful in capitalist ventures, leading overseas entrepreneurs were in a special position to introduce new concepts into China. Dr Michael R. Godley's study traces the rise of overseas...