Arthur Waley was a distinguished authority on Chinese language and literature. His translations from Chinese were honored many times, and he received the Queen's medal for poetry in 1953. Through his extensive body of work, Waley significantly contributed to the understanding of East Asian literary traditions. His translations and scholarly works reveal a profound grasp of diverse cultures, making the beauty and complexity of Chinese and Japanese poetry and prose accessible to a wider audience.
This volume translates and places in the appropriate historical context a number of private documents, such as diaries, autobiographies and confessions, which explain what the Opium War felt like on the Chinese side.Originally published in 1958 by Allen & Unwin.