An American Engineer in China - William Barclay Parson 1900 McClure Phillips 1st

Description: An American Engineer in China by William Barclay Parson New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1900 First Edition, First Printing Hardcover. 319 pp. 5-1/2" x 7-3/4".Illustrated with numerous, two-sided, black & white photographic plates (all of which have been confirmed present). About good condition. A past, crude attempt to repair front & rear hinges resulted in partially gluing half-title page to front pastedown & rear end paper to rear pastedown. Pencil markings at bottom gutter of rear end paper. Tear to front pastedown along top edge. Stain / spot along side edge of pp. 9-25. Occasional soiling & smudging to page margins. Otherwise, interior clean. Tears & creasing to half-title page. Scattered edge tears to pages, including to top edge of p. 15 & along side edges of p. 245 & p. 319. Gutters pulling in a few places & binding has a bit of give, but book remains sound & feels solid. Slight lean to spine. Covers have mild wear at corners & spine ends; darkening & soiling to spine & to front & rear boards; a bit of fading to spine titles. Lacking the fold-out map. William Barclay Parsons was an American engineer practicing in the late 19th & early 20th centuries. He was Chief Engineer for the design of the Cape Cod Canal and served as Chief Engineer of the Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners, which was responsible for the construction of the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway line in New York City. In 1898-99 he traveled to China "under retainer of an American syndicate to investigate to examine, survey, and report on an extensive railway enterprise" [from the Preface]. "By the late nineteenth century, twenty-nine Chinese ports were open for foreign trade. Often run by foreign commissioners and no longer subject to the stringent local laws, these ports levied one of the smallest import taxes in the world, and Chinese commerce therefore exploded. Originally published in 1900, [An American Engineer in China] investigates the ensuing surge of economic and industrial development in the eastern provinces. Including an introduction to China's history and the structure of its civil service, the book analyses the corrupt but ingenious world of customs officials, the importance of American cotton interests, and export statistics which reveal the multimillion-dollar smuggling operations that slipped around official embargoes. Set against a backdrop of electric lights and western labels in even the most closed of cities, this book offers a fascinating glimpse into the early stages of today's global market." [from Cambridge University Press website] Showing the wear & tear of its age, & lacking the fold out map, but still an attractive & desirable copy of this scarce title. A nice addition to your collection. Ships well-packed in a box.

Price: 300 USD

Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia

End Time: 2024-12-27T01:41:38.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6 USD