Examing his legacy
A photo captured this historic moment-Hart onboard a ship surrounded by customs staff in full dress uniform.
O'Neill chose this photo for the book cover.
In the latest book, O'Neill tries to strike a balance by including the comments of Chinese historian Wang Hongbin.
In his biography of Hart published in 2010, Wang wrote: "Hart was the most important invader representing British interests, who put the interests of that country above those of China."
O'Neill includes this in his preface telling readers: "We leave you to make your own judgement."
Contact the writer at xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn
Chen Mengwei contributed to this story.
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