The Treaty of Nanking The British Industrial Revolution

Gr 9 Up—Nanking is really about the Opium Wars begun by Britain in an effort to get China to open its trade to the West. Abrams offers a nice summation of the effect on Chinese foreign policy of the wars and the "humiliating" treaty that ended them. The book is a fascinating glimpse into what was a mostly closed society, as well as into the ruthlessness of trade relations. Pictures are few but well chosen, including a stereotypical 18th-century image of the emperor. Allport introduces his subject with the intriguing premise of a time traveler from Roman Britain looking upon the world of 1750 and then 1850, and noting the extreme changes made in that single century compared to the 1700 years before it. Chapters cover Britain before the Industrial Revolution, changes in agriculture and textiles, the rise of cities, and the reform movement that sprang up in response to the degrading conditions created in the newly industrialized world. Sidebars include an interview from 1833 with the father of several young children who had gone to work in a mill and Adam Smith's innovative concept of the division of labor. Illustrations are a nice mix of sketches and photographs. This is an excellent example of series nonfiction for teens.—Rebecca Donnelly, Loma Colorado Public Library, Rio Rancho, NM