"Through meticulous research into hitherto neglected sources, Christopher Munn brings to life hundreds of individuals from all walks of life, across racial and class divides, who peopled early British Hong Kong - magistrates and murderers, compradores and

"A major contribution to the early history of Hong Kong. [Munn] has done an excellent job in challenging the established view and should be congratulated. His research is meticulous, his arguments well supported, and his case eloquently argued." -- Steve T

"A vivid picture of the daily life and experiences of ordinary Chinese in early Hong Kong... no previous writer has documented the darker side of British imperialism in Hong Kong in such detail." -- Norman Miners, Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth Histo

"Christopher Munn's book has greatly advanced our knowledge of the relations between Chinese and European colonists in Hong Kong in the 1840s-70s. All those interested in the history of Hong Kong should read this splendid work." -- Tsai Jung-fang, The Chin

"This book will surprise any reader interested in the history of Hong Kong. Through meticulous research, Munn has discovered that an extraordinary 175,000 Chinese appeared before British magistrates from the 1840s through the 1860s. Colonial law not only

Christopher Munn served as an administrative officer in the Hong Kong Government between 1980 and 1992. After a short break in the mid-nineties to take a PhD at the University of Toronto, he returned to Hong Kong, where he now works for the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.