Free Trade's First Missionary

In Free Trade's First Missionary, journalist Philip Bowring, a distant relative of his subject and something of a Hong Kong institution himself, provides a sober, sympathetic reappraisal of the life and work of Sir John Bowring, the fourth governor of Hong Kong.

Bowring argues that Sir John was one of the great men of his day: the original proponent of worldwide free trade who left a legacy of liberal ideas most of which were implemented after his death. But thankfully this biography never strays into the territory of hagiography. Sir John's flaws, errors and contradictions are scattered throughout. He was over ambitious, craved recognition from the British establishment, had a "tendency to self-importance," often acted impulsively and professed radical liberalism while occasionally using "gunboat diplomacy."