{"product_id":"the-last-embassy-the-dutch-mission-of-1795-and-the-forgotten-history-of-western-encounters-with-china-9780691177113","title":"The Last Embassy: The Dutch Mission of 1795 and the Forgotten History of Western Encounters with China","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eThe Gunpowder Age\u003c\/i\u003e, a book that casts new light on the history of China and the West at the turn of the nineteenth century\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGeorge Macartney's disastrous 1793 mission to China plays a central role in the prevailing narrative of modern Sino-European relations. Summarily dismissed by the Qing court, Macartney failed in nearly all of his objectives, perhaps setting the stage for the Opium Wars of the nineteenth century and the mistrust that still marks the relationship today. But not all European encounters with China were disastrous. \u003ci\u003eThe Last Embassy\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of the Dutch mission of 1795, bringing to light a dramatic but little-known episode that transforms our understanding of the history of China and the West. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDrawing on a wealth of archival material, Tonio Andrade paints a panoramic and multifaceted portrait of an age marked by intrigues and war. China was on the brink of rebellion. In Europe, French armies were invading Holland. Enduring a harrowing voyage, the Dutch mission was to be the last European diplomatic delegation ever received in the traditional Chinese court. Andrade shows how, in contrast to the British emissaries, the Dutch were men with deep knowledge of Asia who respected regional diplomatic norms and were committed to understanding China on its own terms. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBeautifully illustrated with sketches and paintings by Chinese and European artists, \u003ci\u003eThe Last Embassy\u003c\/i\u003e suggests that the Qing court, often mischaracterized as arrogant and narrow-minded, was in fact open, flexible, curious, and cosmopolitan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTonio Andrade\u003c\/b\u003e is professor of Chinese and global history at Emory University. His books include \u003ci\u003eThe Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History\u003c\/i\u003e (Princeton), \u003ci\u003eLost Colony: The Untold Story of China's First Great Victory over the West\u003c\/i\u003e (Princeton), and \u003ci\u003eHow Taiwan Became Chinese: Dutch, Spanish, and Han Colonization in the Seventeenth Century\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in Decatur, Georgia.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50860804768018,"sku":"9780691177113","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_2210a584-be22-4d8d-8391-84f81b7c11c1.jpg?v=1737583016","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-last-embassy-the-dutch-mission-of-1795-and-the-forgotten-history-of-western-encounters-with-china-9780691177113","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}