The tragic and powerful story of the Opium Wars provides an exploration of the power of addiction and the tragedy that can result when cultures collide. In the 19th century, Chinese society was crippled by a vast addiction to opium, which was largely supplied by British traders. For years, British and Chinese governments clashed over Britain's right to trade in China and to be treated as equals by the Chinese officials. When China tried to close its ports to opium, the British fought back, starting two of the most bizarre wars in history. Featuring astonishingly mismatched battles in which the technological might of the British steamships and artillery decimated the medieval sailing junks and arrows of the Chinese, these wars stand as one of the most important clashes in history between East and West. The Opium Wars presents a detailed history that evokes the political and moral struggles of the people involved in the wars that devastated an empire and have continued to poison the ties between China and the West.