Nagasaki | The British Experience, 1854-1945
Burke-Gaffney, Brian [Thomas Blake Glover (6 June 1838 - 16 December 1911) was a Scottish merchant in the Bakumatsu and Meiji period in Japan].
(Book #ID 85303)
Published by Global Oriental Ltd., Folkestone, Kent First Edition 2009. 2009.
First edition hard back binding in publisher's original navy cloth covers, gilt title and author lettering to the spine. 8vo. 9'' x 6''. Nagasaki is something of an outlier in Japanese history. While the country closed itself off from external influence between the 1630s and 1853, this western port remained partially exempt, a crack through which people, ideas and products could pass. Today, the city retains its cosmopolitan attitude and atmosphere. Brian Burke-Gaffney's study focuses on what he calls 'the British century' in Nagasaki, when Japan opened up and the city became a focal point for adventurous foreigners, among whom Brits were prominent. The study moves both chronologically and thematically through the period, examining political, economic and social interactions between the immigrant communities and locals. Burke-Gaffney, a Canadian scholar who has lived in Nagasaki since 1982, does an exemplary job of balancing the narrative. The bulk of the tale is taken up with 1880 to 1905, when Nagasaki thrived and bustled. His prose is imbued with an obvious love for the port and its people, and the story whips along. Personalities loom large, none more so than Thomas Glover, that whirlwind of Scottish industry who had a hand in much of the excitement and expansion during this time. Though the book ends with the dropping of the atomic bomb on August 9, 1945, the Nagasaki of today is vibrant, packed with gripping history and colourful life, and a must-visit on everyone's itinerary. Contains [xvi] 288 printed pages of text with map and period colour and monochrome photographs. Fine condition book in Fine condition dust wrapper, unused and unopened new book. We carry this book in stock for immediate dispatch. Member of the P.B.F.A. ISBN 9781906876135
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