The surrender of Hong Kong to the Japanese in December 1941 started the collapse of British power in the Far East. Disproportionate to its small size, the colony became critical in Britain's battle to retain her Empire. Ironically, the threat to British sovereignty came not from Japan, but her own allies, America and China. New light is shed on the multi-faceted Anglo-American relationship, the significance of Britain's 'imperial mentality', and China's claim to the colony.

The surrender of Hong Kong to the Japanese in December 1941 started the collapse of British power in the Far East. Disproportionate to its small size, the colony became critical in Britain's battle to retain her Empire. Ironically, the larger threat to British sovereignty came not from the Japan, but from her own allies, America and China. Andrew Whitfield sheds new light on the multi-faceted Anglo-American relationship, the significance of Britain's "imperial mentality", and China's claim to the colony.

After 1949, the British Empire in Hong Kong was more vulnerable than the lack of Chinese demand for return and the success of Hong Kong's economic transformations might have suggested. Its vulnerability stemmed as much from Britain's imperial decline and America's Cold War requirements as from a Chinese threat. It culminated in the little known '1957 Question', a year when the British position in Hong Kong appeared more uncertain than any time since 1949. This is the first scholarly study that places Hong Kong at the heart of the Anglo-American relationship in the wider context of the Cold War in Asia. Unlike existing works, which tend to treat British and US policies in isolation, this book explores their dynamic interactions - how the two allies perceived, responded to, and attempted to influence each other's policies and actions. It also provides a major reinterpretation of Hong Kong's involvement in the containment of China. Dr Mark argues that, concerned about possible Chinese retaliation, the British insisted and the Americans accepted that Hong Kong's role should be as discreet and non-confrontational in nature as possible. Above all, top decision-makers in Washington evaluated Hong Kong's significance not in its own right, but in the context of the Anglo-American relationship: Hong Kong was seen primarily as a bargaining chip to obtain British support for US policy elsewhere in Asia. By using a variety of British and US archival material as well as Chinese sources, Dr Mark examines how the British and US government discussed, debated, and disagreed over Hong Kong's role in the Cold War, and reveals the dynamics of the Anglo-American alliance and the dilemmas of small allies in a global conflict.

Starting his account at a time when Britain was poised to rule the world's oceans—and much of its land as well—prolific historian Jeremy Black details the nation's involvement in global affairs from the late-18th century to the present. A Military History of Britain is an account of military structures and cultures, and relevant socio-political contexts, as well as of conflicts. As in all of his writing, Black seeks to challenge conventional assumptions and offer illuminating new perspectives. Black begins by setting the background to British military history, in particular the anti-(large) army ideology, the maritime tradition, and the growing geo-political rivalry with France. After the defeat of the French in North America, Britain would become the world's leading maritime power. The 19th Century would see tension between Britain and the new United States, France, Germany, and an increasing emphasis on imperial conquests. Organized in three parts: Britain as Imperial Parent; Britain as Imperial Rival; and Britain as Imperial Partner. A primary focus of this account will be the 20th century, examining Britain and World War I (including Britain as a world power and issues of imperial overstretch) and World War II (and the subsequent wars of Imperial Retention in Malaya, Kenya, and Cyprus). As in all of his writing, Black seeks to challenge conventional assumptions, and offer illuminating new perspectives. Black details the involvement of Britain in global affairs up to the present. Recent issues of continuing importance include Britain as a nuclear power, the end of the East of Suez policy, NATO membership; out-of-area conflict (from the Falklands to Iraq), and the adjustment to new global roles. This wide-ranging and broadly-based account is designed for students and for the general reader.

This is a collection of twelve scholarly yet accessible essays that examine the history of the University of Hong Kong, from the laying of its foundation stone in 1910 to its reestablishment after World War II. The book provides fascinating insights into one of Hong Kong's most important and prestigious institutions, as well as scholarly contributions to the history of Hong Kong itself.

Hong Kong is at the heart of modern China's position as a regional - and potential world - superpower. This work argues that Hong Kong's current prosperity and influence are direct by-products of the British administrators who ran the place as a colony before the handover in 1997.

World War II defined the 20th century and shaped the contemporary world; from the decolonization of Africa to the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. This work offers an overview of this complex and volatile era, taking into account the political, economic and social factors, as well as military circumstances of the road to war and its consequences.

People from a dozen modern states were directly involved in the 1942 fall of Singapore: The United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, India, Pakistan, Nepal, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Indonesia, China and above all Malaysia and Singapore. To commemorate its 60th anniversary, the Department of History at the National University of Singapore organised an international conference of historians, students and war veterans on the theme Sixty Years On: The Fall of Singapore Revisited. This book presents a selection of the papers presented at the conference, revised for publication. It is not meant to be the last word on all aspects relating to the Malayan campaign and the fall of Singapore but rather an attempt to pull together reassessments of arguments of very long standing about major issues such as the Singapore strategy, with fresh contributions to our knowledge such as a discussion of how Japanese soldiers experienced the fighting on Singapore Island. Both conference and volume aimed to provide a well-rounded, state of the art discussion of the central issues and some of the shadows, relating to the fall of Singapore. READERSHIP: University lecturers/researchers, undergraduate students, academicians and those interested in History.