Sino-French Trade at Canton, 16981842

Sino-French Trade at Canton, 16981842 presents a rare and lively view of the French experience at Canton, and calls for a reappraisal of Frances role in that trade. France was one of the two most important Western powers in the eighteenth century, and was home to one of the three major European East India companies. Yet the nation is woefully underrepresented in Canton trade scholarship. Susan E. Schopp rescues the French from the sidelines, showing that they exerted a presence that, though closely watched by their rivals, is today largely unrecognized. Their contributions were diverse, ranging from finding new sea routes to inspiring the renovation of hong faades. Consequently, to ignore the French, or to dismiss them as simply also-rans, results in a skewed perception of the Canton system. Schopp also demonstrates that while the most distinctive aspect of the French model of company trade was the dominant role of the stateindeed, the French East India Company has been memorably described as a Versailles of tradethis did not rule out a place for legitimate, and sometimes surprising, participation by the private sector. On the contrary: Frances commercial relations with China were inaugurated by private traders, and the popularity of the Canton trade spurred the eventual demise of the company model. Backed up by extensive archival work, Schopps work demonstrates a remarkable understanding of the Sino-European trade, and her book reveals an unparalleled passion for the role of seamanship in history.