This is an impressive hardback book with a beautiful debossed front cover, is bound with bright blue cloth. The chinese characters are in gilt lettering and the coat of arms (pasted image) is a copy of a elaborate wood carving, apparently from the stern of an old opium clipper bound for Hong Kong. The book tells the history of the Chinese opium trade and also the life and times of the ships' captains and the clippers they sailed. This hardback, first edition is in good condition overall. There is some shelf wear to the front and back covers with worn and cracked spine edges and damage to the top and bottom of the spine edges. The lettering on the spine is worn but the lettering, chinese characters and the coat of arms on the front cover are in good condition. The back cover has age-related discolouration and staining, and the corners of the book are scuffed and bumped. The majority of facing pages are crisp and clean. A small number of pages have age-related spotting and discolourati