Mark Hampton is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Centre for Cinema Studies at Lingnan University

• Introduction1. Hong Kong and British culture: postwar contexts2. The discourse of unbridled capitalism in post-war Hong Kong3. A man’s playground4. The discourses of order and modernisation5. Good governance6. Chinese Britishness7. Narratives of 1997Epilogue: Colonial hangoversBibliographyIndex

'A richly detailed study of Britain's cultural engagement with one of its most successful if under-studied colonies, Hampton does a wonderful job of showing us how Britain imagined Hong Kong and its people, how Britons actually lived in the colony and how locals regarded the British presence in an era of decolonisation. Hampton plumbs a wide array of materials to furnish us with this invigorating and original, as well as immensely readable, study.'Philippa Levine, the University of Texas‘…a well-written and original study that deserves to be widely read.’Tanja Bueltmann, Northumbria University, The American Historical Review, Vol 122, Issue 1'Highly illuminating and meticulously researched, the book shows that British commentators were either fascinated with Hong Kong’s transformation from a “barren rock” into a dynamic city, or critical of Hong Kong’s money-making and non-white character. By exploring the complex interplay between metropolitan and colonial cultures, Hampton has not only addressed a neglected aspect of Hong Kong history, but also provided valuable insights into postwar British society and culture. […] In short, Hampton has written a thought-provoking and hugely entertaining book, which lies at the intersection of British imperial and cultural history and Hong Kong history.'Journal of Social History

Mark Hampton is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Centre for Cinema Studies at Lingnan University

• Introduction1. Hong Kong and British culture: postwar contexts2. The discourse of unbridled capitalism in post-war Hong Kong3. A man’s playground4. The discourses of order and modernisation5. Good governance6. Chinese Britishness7. Narratives of 1997Epilogue: Colonial hangoversBibliographyIndex

'A richly detailed study of Britain's cultural engagement with one of its most successful if under-studied colonies, Hampton does a wonderful job of showing us how Britain imagined Hong Kong and its people, how Britons actually lived in the colony and how locals regarded the British presence in an era of decolonisation. Hampton plumbs a wide array of materials to furnish us with this invigorating and original, as well as immensely readable, study.'Philippa Levine, the University of Texas‘…a well-written and original study that deserves to be widely read.’Tanja Bueltmann, Northumbria University, The American Historical Review, Vol 122, Issue 1'Highly illuminating and meticulously researched, the book shows that British commentators were either fascinated with Hong Kong’s transformation from a “barren rock” into a dynamic city, or critical of Hong Kong’s money-making and non-white character. By exploring the complex interplay between metropolitan and colonial cultures, Hampton has not only addressed a neglected aspect of Hong Kong history, but also provided valuable insights into postwar British society and culture. […] In short, Hampton has written a thought-provoking and hugely entertaining book, which lies at the intersection of British imperial and cultural history and Hong Kong history.'Journal of Social History

Mark Hampton is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Centre for Cinema Studies at Lingnan University

• Introduction1. Hong Kong and British culture: postwar contexts2. The discourse of unbridled capitalism in post-war Hong Kong3. A man’s playground4. The discourses of order and modernisation5. Good governance6. Chinese Britishness7. Narratives of 1997Epilogue: Colonial hangoversBibliographyIndex

'A richly detailed study of Britain's cultural engagement with one of its most successful if under-studied colonies, Hampton does a wonderful job of showing us how Britain imagined Hong Kong and its people, how Britons actually lived in the colony and how locals regarded the British presence in an era of decolonisation. Hampton plumbs a wide array of materials to furnish us with this invigorating and original, as well as immensely readable, study.'Philippa Levine, the University of Texas‘…a well-written and original study that deserves to be widely read.’Tanja Bueltmann, Northumbria University, The American Historical Review, Vol 122, Issue 1'Highly illuminating and meticulously researched, the book shows that British commentators were either fascinated with Hong Kong’s transformation from a “barren rock” into a dynamic city, or critical of Hong Kong’s money-making and non-white character. By exploring the complex interplay between metropolitan and colonial cultures, Hampton has not only addressed a neglected aspect of Hong Kong history, but also provided valuable insights into postwar British society and culture. […] In short, Hampton has written a thought-provoking and hugely entertaining book, which lies at the intersection of British imperial and cultural history and Hong Kong history.'Journal of Social History