George Macartney (1737-1806) had a long and distinguished political and diplomatic career. He held the post of Secretary for Ireland, was successively governor of Grenada, Madras and the Cape Colony, and served as trade envoy to Russia and China. The son of an Irish landowner, Macartney rose in his profession through diligent diplomacy, perseverance, ambition and integrity; he gradually advanced in both the British and Irish peerage. This two-volume biography by Sir John Barrow, who had accompanied Macartney to China and the Cape, was first published in 1807, and draws heavily on official documents from Macartney's periods in office. Volume 1 contains a chronological account of Macartney's professional life, focusing particularly on the challenges he faced while Governor of Madras in the 1780s, including military threats, wrangling over fiscal policies, the extension of Fort St George, and plans for a Madras police force.
  • ISBN13 9780511793615
  • Publish Date 5 May 2013 (first published 17 February 2011)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country GB
  • Publisher Cambridge University Press
  • Imprint Cambridge University Press (Virtual Publishing)
  • Format eBook
  • Language English