The surrender of Hong Kong to the Japanese in December 1941 started the collapse of British power in the Far East. Disproportionate to its small size, the colony became critical in Britain's battle to retain her Empire. Ironically, the threat to British sovereignty came not from Japan, but her own allies, America and China. New light is shed on the multi-faceted Anglo-American relationship, the significance of Britain's 'imperial mentality', and China's claim to the colony.

General Editor's Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations Chronology Maps Introduction Return and Departure: The Fall and Recapture of Hong Kong, 1941 and 1945 The Meaning of Empire: Imperial Consensus, Whitehall and Hong Kong The Anglo-American Relationship at War, 1941-45 An Empire Brought into Question, 1942 China Claims Hong Kong 1942-43 London's Hong Kong Planning, 1943-44 Anglo-American Military Strategy in the Far East, 1942-44 The Cairo Conference Hard Choices: November 1944-June 1945 Yalta, the Death of a President, and San Francisco Return of the Empire: The Defeat of Japan, July-September 1945 Conclusion Epilogue Notes Bibliography and Sources Index

ANDREW WHITFIELD researched the book in the UK, Hong Kong and the USA. He now lives in London and works for the British government in Whitehall.