" 'Just occasionally one comes across a really wonderful book. John Keay's Last Post is just such a treasure. Readable, erudite, witty, immensely enjoyable' - Richard Gott, Literary Review 'A superb account... he controls the overall shape of the complex narrative with deceptive grace, while sewing small delightful jewels of detail throughout the fabric' - John Simpson, Sunday Telegraph 'An immensely well-researched and entertaining book' - Simon Heffer, Observer 'It is an astonishing, panoramic view of an immense process' - Jan Morris 'A vivid and impressive account of an extraordinary period of imperial history' - Philip Ziegler, Daily Telegraph 'Readers can both revel in this fine work and yet still become misty eyed at the sound of the Last Post' - William Shawcross, Sunday Times 'A stylish book of clarity and argumentative vigour... Last Post is a model of narrative history, coolly presented and perfectly paced' - Lawrence Norfolk, The Times 'A colourful account of the ebb and flow of empires with splendid digressions on such exotic matters as Shanghai's red light districts; colonial stamps and Dirk Bogarde' - Lawrence James, Daily Mail"

John Keay's recent books include Sowing the Wind: The Mismanagement of the Middle East 1900-1960 and Last Post: The End of Empire in the Far East. He lives in Scotland and is married to the author Julia Keay. Together they edited the Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland and are now revising the London Encyclopaedia. They have four children. John's earlier books include standard histories of India and the English East India Company. His latest is Mad About the Mekong: Exploration and Empire in South East Asia.

Part One - Flying the Flag: 1930; 1. Lords of the East; 2. The Malay World; 3. The China Coast; 4. Indo-Chinoiserie; 5. Fixing the Philippines; Part Two-At Half Mast: 1930-1945; 6. Intervention and Recession; 7. Shanghai Express; 8. Countdown; 9. Eclipse; 10. Heavy Cloud; Part Three - Lowering the Flag: 1945-1976; 11. Definition; 12. Mass Merdeka; 13. Mission Impossible; 14. On a Silver Platter; 15. Twenty Years to Pay; Glossary of Place Names; Bibliography; Index;