Silk Silver Opium: The Trade with China That Changed History

Michael Pembroke was born in Sydney and educated at the universities of Sydney and Cambridge. His first book was Trees of History & Romance (2009); his second, Arthur Phillip – Sailor, Mercenary, Governor, Spy (2013), was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards; his third book Korea – Where the American Century Began (2018) was shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards and the NSW Premier's History Awards. Pembroke's polemic about American leadership entitled Play By the Rules (2020), was published in the United States as America in Retreat (2021). His most recent work of non-fiction is Silk Silver Opium The Trade with China that Changed History (2025).