Interested in history and human nature
UK
Joined November 2013
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In April 1587, a small fleet of galleons arrived at Manila. On board were 300 heavily armed conquistadores, the first of thousands expected from the New World. Spain, after a century of expansion, was preparing to launch its most daring campaign yet: the conquest of China. 🧵
Dan Hopper retweeted
New guest post by @evohopp, who, years ago, did a great twitter thread on my 2012 book, now scaled up into an Unsafe Science essay. Link in reply.
Dan Hopper retweeted
Wow. Just discovered this. Excellent long thread tweet-summarizing my 2012 book. Does a damn good job, too.
Paddling into the sky this afternoon! Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (highest in the world), near llangollen, Wales 🏴
Missionary crossing a river in western Sichuan (c. 1939-49), in what might best be described as a pudding (possibly Yorkshire).
Finally read Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer (1952). ‘Here there were no imperialistic influences and nothing to liberate. If any nation deserved the help of [the UN], it was Tibet.’
Where river meets road, a scene in Western Sichuan (early 20th century, taken by a China Inland Missionary).
Changsha 长沙 (c. 1905), photographed by a China Inland Missionary. Devastated by the Taiping Rebellion (1850-64), Hunan province became known as the most anti-foreign part of China.
The rooftops of Zhenjiang 镇江, looking towards the Yangzi and the Grand Canal. Taken by a China Inland Missionary (early 20th century)
Dan Hopper retweeted
We showcased primary sources related to the Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) at @theUL for Prof Dan Knorr's paper on Globalization in 19th-Century China at @CamHistory. Recently, unique prints were discovered for a digitization project. The rare books are part of the Wade Collection
Following the Retreat from Kabul (1842), the British in Jalalabad were starving & surrounded. Afghans turned the screw by sending flocks of sheep to eat the last grass under the walls - the Brits rounded up the sheep, laughing & shouting “Baa-Baa!” 🐑
Peter Fleming’s famous note to the reader in ‘One’s Company’ (1934). Older brother of Bond creator Ian Fleming, he travelled to China as a correspondent of The Times to investigate ‘the communist situation’
The first convicts (& guards) sent to Australia had to wait nearly 3 years before hearing from home: '"Letters! Letters!" was the cry.' Imagine reading about the madness of King George, the first President of the USA, and the French Revolution!
