The Immobile Empire - by Alain Peyrefitte (Paperback)

About the Book

The astonishing history of Britain's grand, ill-fated expedition to open China to Western trade, The Immobile Empire is a historical tour de force that recaptures the extraordinary experience of two worlds in collision. In 1793, a group of nearly 700 men attempted to establish relations with China. But the refusal of their leader to "kowtow" to the emperor was the first signal that the empires would fail to see eye to eye. Illustrations.

Book Synopsis

In 1793, Lord George Macartney and an enormous delegation--including diplomats, doctors, scholars, painters, musicians, soldiers, and aristocrats--entered Beijing on a mission to open China to British trade. But Macartney's famous refusal to perform the traditional kowtow before the Chinese Emperor was just one sign that the two empires would not see eye to eye, and the trade talks failed. The inability to develop a trade relation would have enormous consequences for future relations between China and the West. Peyrefitte's vivid narrative of this fascinating encounter is based on extraordinary source materials from each side--including the charming and candid diary of Thomas Staunton, the son of one of Macartney's aides. An example of history at its finest, The Immobile Empire recaptures the extraordinary experience of two great empires in collision, sizing each other up for the first time.

From the Back Cover

From Alain Peyrefitte, a historical tour de force: The Immobile Empire recaptures the extraordinary experience of two worlds in collision. Peyrefitte describes in fascinating detail the story of the failed attempt by the British during the 1790s to open the Chinese Empire to Western trade. Led by Lord George Macartney, whose previous diplomatic career had involved successful stints in India and the Caribbean, the enormous British expedition of nearly seven hundred men included diplomats, doctors, scholars, painters, musicians, soldiers, and young members of the British aristocracy. Macartney's refusal to perform the traditional kowtow before the Chinese Emperor was the first signal that the two empires would fail to see eye to eye. The British, fueled by the ideas of Adam Smith, had built an empire on the principle of mutually advantageous trade among nations. But, as Peyrefitte notes dryly, "Confucius never read Adam Smith". The British wanted tea, porcelain, and silk, but had little to offer the Chinese in return, except one shameful commodity - Indian opium. "Everyone thought of it", Peyrefitte remarks, "but no one spoke of it". Making use of extraordinary source materials - including, on the British side, the wonderfully candid diary of twelve-year-old Thomas Staunton, son of Macartney's aide, and the only person in the entire English fleet who had taught himself Chinese, and, on the Chinese side, the newly discovered secret reports of the Emperor's officials, all personally annotated by the Emperor himself - Peyrefitte is able to tell this remarkable story from both sides, and from multiple perspectives on each side. Superbly translated by Jon Rothschild, The Immobile Empire ishistory at its most gripping and entertaining.

Review Quotes

Praise for Alain Peyrefitte's The Immobile Empire

"A fascinating study of cross-cultural misunderstanding."
--The Chicago Tribune

"A rollicking good story with obvious and immediate parallels for today."
--The American Spectator

"Extraordinary . . . at once a marvelous adventure tale, a dramatic reenactment of a decisive confrontation between East and West and a revealing comparative study of two cultures, each believing itself the world's most civilized."
--Publishers Weekly

"An elegant, illuminating and delightful book."
--South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"Painstakingly researched, gracefully written. . . . A smooth translation. . . . Peyrefitte's nearly day-by-day account will fascinate Sinologists and students of East-West affairs."
--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Alain Peyrefitte was a French scholar, politician, and author. He had a long career in public service, serving as a diplomat in Germany and Poland and as minister of information and minister of justice. He became a member of the Académie française in 1977. He is the author of several books including The Immobile Empire and The Trouble with France.