I usually do not agree to read and review biographies, but "Mission to China" was well worth the departure from my norm. The life and times of Walter Medhurst was a fun and informative read. I learned a great deal about the missionary movement that accompanied one of history's Great Awakenings and I also learned a lot about the trading system in Southeast Asia that dominated much of the early 19th century.

Walter Medhurst lived an incredible life. He met his wife in India, daughter of an English father and Indian mother. Mixed marriages were encouraged by the East India Company. They made their way to China, where the Chinese authorities imposed tight controls on the conditions of foreign trade and Canton was the only place where foreigners could conduct business. It was a crime punishable by death for a Chinese person to teach a European to speak Chinese.
Missionairies fought the opium trade, published the Bible in Chinese, introduced Western medicine and education, especially education for females. Diseases were endemic, and the Medhurst family experienced many deaths. They returned to London as Walter’s health deteriorated and he died within days of arrival.

This books describes the life and work of the devoted and hard working early missionary Walter Medhurst . He and his wife set out to proselyte in Asia and were pioneers in establishing a foothold with churches, schools and orphanages in several countries in South East Asia. The ultimate goal was China and after the victory of the First Opium War Walter Medhurst's dream came true. The author describes the life and work of the man but also China and the Chinese people of that time and the reader gains insights into the conditions at that time. However the book could improve with a better structure and analysis, in addition to just a timeline of Medhurst's life.