Our Man In China - The Diaries

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

A Man In A Hurry

20161107

The British made him a baronet, the King of Denmark awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, the Germans gave him the Prussian Order of the Crown and the Chinese appointed him (among many other honours) an Iron Hatted Duke, but his nickname in Beijing mattered more than any of his titles; they called him, 'our Hart'. It was a tribute to his unique role in China's history and its relations with the West. Robert Hart lived through the death throes of a dynastic China that had existed for four thousand years, and he helped lay the foundations of the China we know today. He served as Inspector General of Maritime Customs for nearly half a century, transforming it in to an efficient well regulated organisation that helped fuel China's transformation in to a modern trading nation. Along the way he laid the foundations for a national postal service, railway, meteorological and navigation systems. Yet he is the only figure among the 'foreign devils' of those days remembered with affection. He used his position to serve Chinese, not just British, interests. Hart knew everyone and saw everything. His diaries are an intimate and frank chronicle of his life during one of the most turbulent periods in China's history. The Robert Hart you find in his journals is also a figure of our age. He was tormented by conscience, and much given to introspection - endlessly debating faith and morals with his friends and himself. As a young man he was incurably sentimental and hopelessly addicted to sex and female affection. The dairies have only been partially translated and only published in academic circles. This is the first time extracts from Sir Robert Hart's diaries have been broadcast. Today Sir Robert arrives in Ningbo and discovers a world of brothels and opium.

Robert Hart: a Victorian diplomat who helped transform China into a modern trading nation.

Extracts from the extraordinary diaries of Sir Robert Hart, a Victorian diplomat in China.

A Servant Of The Crown

20161108

Robert Hart: a Victorian diplomat who helped transform China into a modern trading nation.

Extracts from the extraordinary diaries of Sir Robert Hart, a Victorian diplomat in China.

The Boxer Uprising

20161111

Sir Robert organises the defence of Peking against the Boxer rebels.

Extracts from the extraordinary diaries of Sir Robert Hart, a Victorian diplomat in China.

The Heart Of Empire

20161110

Sir Robert is called in to help with the fight against the Taiping rebels.

Extracts from the extraordinary diaries of Sir Robert Hart, a Victorian diplomat in China.

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Comments
A Man In A Hurry	20161107	The British made him a baronet, the King of Denmark awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, the Germans gave him the Prussian Order of the Crown and the Chinese appointed him (among many other honours) an Iron Hatted Duke, but his nickname in Beijing mattered more than any of his titles; they called him, 'our Hart'. It was a tribute to his unique role in China's history and its relations with the West. Robert Hart lived through the death throes of a dynastic China that had existed for four thousand years, and he helped lay the foundations of the China we know today. He served as Inspector General of Maritime Customs for nearly half a century, transforming it in to an efficient well regulated organisation that helped fuel China's transformation in to a modern trading nation. Along the way he laid the foundations for a national postal service, railway, meteorological and navigation systems. Yet he is the only figure among the 'foreign devils' of those days remembered with affection. He used his position to serve Chinese, not just British, interests. Hart knew everyone and saw everything. His diaries are an intimate and frank chronicle of his life during one of the most turbulent periods in China's history. The Robert Hart you find in his journals is also a figure of our age. He was tormented by conscience, and much given to introspection - endlessly debating faith and morals with his friends and himself. As a young man he was incurably sentimental and hopelessly addicted to sex and female affection. The dairies have only been partially translated and only published in academic circles. This is the first time extracts from Sir Robert Hart's diaries have been broadcast. Today Sir Robert arrives in Ningbo and discovers a world of brothels and opium. Robert Hart: a Victorian diplomat who helped transform China into a modern trading nation. Extracts from the extraordinary diaries of Sir Robert Hart, a Victorian diplomat in China.
A Servant Of The Crown	20161108	The British made him a baronet, the King of Denmark awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, the Germans gave him the Prussian Order of the Crown and the Chinese appointed him (among many other honours) an Iron Hatted Duke, but his nickname in Beijing mattered more than any of his titles; they called him, 'our Hart'. It was a tribute to his unique role in China's history and its relations with the West. Robert Hart lived through the death throes of a dynastic China that had existed for four thousand years, and he helped lay the foundations of the China we know today. He served as Inspector General of Maritime Customs for nearly half a century, transforming it in to an efficient well regulated organisation that helped fuel China's transformation in to a modern trading nation. Along the way he laid the foundations for a national postal service, railway, meteorological and navigation systems. Yet he is the only figure among the 'foreign devils' of those days remembered with affection. He used his position to serve Chinese, not just British, interests. Hart knew everyone and saw everything. His diaries are an intimate and frank chronicle of his life during one of the most turbulent periods in China's history. The Robert Hart you find in his journals is also a figure of our age. He was tormented by conscience, and much given to introspection - endlessly debating faith and morals with his friends and himself. As a young man he was incurably sentimental and hopelessly addicted to sex and female affection. The dairies have only been partially translated and only published in academic circles. This is the first time extracts from Sir Robert Hart's diaries have been broadcast. Today Sir Robert arrives in Ningbo and discovers a world of brothels and opium. Robert Hart: a Victorian diplomat who helped transform China into a modern trading nation. Extracts from the extraordinary diaries of Sir Robert Hart, a Victorian diplomat in China.
The Boxer Uprising	20161111	Sir Robert organises the defence of Peking against the Boxer rebels. Extracts from the extraordinary diaries of Sir Robert Hart, a Victorian diplomat in China.
The Heart Of Empire	20161110	Sir Robert is called in to help with the fight against the Taiping rebels. Extracts from the extraordinary diaries of Sir Robert Hart, a Victorian diplomat in China.