The Economist reads | Hong Kong

The seven books that best explain Hong Kong’s history

Our Asia digital editor reads up on the city’s colourful tale

Nathan Road is one of the busiest and most important shopping areas in Hong Kong (Photo by In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)

IN THE SPACE of three years, Hong Kong has gone from being Asia’s world city to a repressive one. It is a place where opposition figures and journalists are now thrown in jail, along with thousands of locals whose crime was to demand greater democracy. The dizzying speed at which a vibrant and free-spirited city has been brought to China’s heel is depressing. But it is also undeniably fascinating. Here, our Asia digital editor selects seven books that tell Hong Kong’s colourful tale.

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