Aide memoire:My book has author as Sir Meyrick Hewlett. He was there as a Consul from 1898to 1935. His love of China shows through and he spent lots of time in his early years preventing civil war between various war lords. ( )

Diplomatic memoir of a (nearly) forty year career in China, 1898-1935. Best for its detailed account of the author's experiences during the Boxer rebellion, the book also details the years of turmoil as China struggled towards unification, ending just as the Japanese invaded, to trigger yet more bloodshed and suffering. Readable and interesting (to this reviewer) but not the most absorbing memoir of its type. ( )