Our First Ambassador to China: An Account of the Life of George, Earl of Macartney, with Extracts from His Letters, and the Narrative of His Experiences in China, as Told by Himself, 1737-1806

Helen Henrietta Macartney Robbins , George Macartney

ISBN 10: 1108026257 / ISBN 13: 9781108026253

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2011

About this Item

1st edition. 503 pages. 8.50x5.60x1.40 inches. In Stock. This item is printed on demand.

Seller Inventory # __1108026257

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Our First Ambassador to China: An Account of the Life of George, Earl of Macartney, with Extracts from His Letters, and the Narrative of His Experiences in China, as Told by Himself, 1737-1806
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1108026257
• ISBN 13: 9781108026253
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 0.68 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

George Macartney (1737–1806) was a British statesman, diplomat and administrator who held a succession of important appointments. In 1764 he was sent as envoy extraordinary to Russia, but described the Russian nobility as 'vain, petulant, inconsequent, indiscreet, and changeable'. After several years as Chief Secretary for Ireland (1767–1772) and a governorship in the West Indies, he served as Governor of Madras in the early 1780s, a difficult role surrounded by controversy and intrigue. In 1792–1794 he travelled to China on behalf of the government and the East India Company on a mission to negotiate a trade agreement, but was unsuccessful. He ended his career as Governor of the Cape Colony. This 1908 biography, which includes extracts from previously unpublished letters by Macartney and other newly-researched archival material, complements the two-volume 1807 account of Macartney's life by Sir John Barrow, also reissued in this series.

Book Description

This 1908 biography of the British statesman, diplomat and administrator George Macartney (1737-1806) made use of much previously unpublished material, including letters and documents from the family archives. It complements the two-volume 1807 account of Macartney's life by Sir John Barrow, also reissued in this series.