Kingdom and People of Siam: Volume 1

Published in two volumes in 1857, this was the most successful work of the linguist and politician Sir John Bowring (1792-1872). His varied career included work as an editor and translator, service as an MP in Britain and as a consul in China, and the controversial governorship of Hong Kong. His appointment to this last post in 1854 saw him aggressively assert British interests with little regard ...