{"product_id":"the-immobile-empire-isbn-9780345803955","title":"The Immobile Empire","description":"In 1793, Lord George Macartney and an enormous delegation—including diplomats, doctors, scholars, painters, musicians, soldiers, and aristocrats—entered Beijing on a mission to open China to British trade. But Macartney’s famous refusal to perform the traditional kowtow before the Chinese Emperor was just one sign that the two empires would not see eye to eye, and the trade talks failed. The inability to develop a trade relation would have enormous consequences for future relations between China and the West. Peyrefitte’s vivid narrative of this fascinating encounter is based on extraordinary source materials from each side—including the charming and candid diary of Thomas Staunton, the son of one of Macartney’s aides. An example of history at its finest, \u003ci\u003eThe Immobile Empire \u003c\/i\u003erecaptures the extraordinary experience of two great empires in collision, sizing each other up for the first time.\u003cb\u003ePraise for Alain Peyrefitte's \u003ci\u003eThe Immobile Empire\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A fascinating study of cross-cultural misunderstanding.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Chicago Tribune\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“A rollicking good story with obvious and immediate parallels for today.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe American Spectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Extraordinary . . . at once a marvelous adventure tale, a dramatic reenactment of a decisive confrontation between East and West and a revealing comparative study of two cultures, each believing itself the world’s most civilized.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“An elegant, illuminating and delightful book.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSouth Florida Sun-Sentinel\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Painstakingly researched, gracefully written. . . . A smooth translation. . . . Peyrefitte's nearly day-by-day account will fascinate Sinologists and students of East-West affairs.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003eAlain Peyrefitte was a French scholar, politician, and author. He had a long career in public service, serving as a diplomat in Germany and Poland and as minister of information and minister of justice. He became a member of the Académie française in 1977. He is the author of several books including \u003ci\u003eThe Immobile Empire\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Trouble with France\u003c\/i\u003e.","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303584944357,"sku":"NP9780345803955","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780345803955.jpg?v=1767739911","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-immobile-empire-isbn-9780345803955","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}