The Back Door (fiction)
Encyclopedia
The Back Door was an anonymous work of invasion literature
serialised in Hong Kong newspaper
The China Mail
from 30 September through 8 October 1897. The work, written in the form of a historical account, describes an imagined Russia
n and French
landing at Hong Kong
's Deep Water Bay
, followed by shelling
of Victoria Peak, a sea battle in the Sulphur Channel
between Hong Kong Island
and Green Island
, and a last stand
at Stonecutters Island
in which British forces
were decisively defeated. The story was intended as a criticism of the lack of British
funding for the defence of Hong Kong; fears of invasion were driven by French expansionism in Southeast Asia
and increasing Russian influence in Manchuria
. It was speculated, but never proven, that members of the Imperial Japanese Army
read the book in preparation for the 1941 Battle of Hong Kong
, in which Japanese forces overran Hong Kong (via the New Territories
, rather than Hong Kong Island
) in just 18 days. In terms of its style, it follows the model laid out by George Tomkyns Chesney
's The Battle of Dorking
, but is noteworthy for its attention to detail, even giving real names of individual soldiers and ships; one reviewer described it as "unique" in its verisimilitude, stating that only William Le Queux
's The Invasion of 1910
and Cleveland Moffett's The Conquest of America could compare to it.
The Back Door received renewed attention in October 2001, when it was republished by Hong Kong University Press under the title Hong Kong Invaded! A '97 Nightmare. The republished edition, at 328 pages in length, was accompanied by a variety of scholarly discussion; the actual text of The Back Door itself occupied barely one-sixth of the book's length. The title of the republished edition was intended as a form of misdirection
and a joke to the reader, evoking fears over the 1997 handover of Hong Kong
to the People's Republic of China
. Bickley was criticised by one reviewer for the cartoon-like illustrations included with the book, and the fact that she had spent so much time on historical analysis of what was described as a "mediocre piece" of fiction.
Invasion literature
Invasion literature was a historical literary genre most notable between 1871 and the First World War . The genre first became recognizable starting in Britain in 1871 with The Battle of Dorking, a fictional account of an invasion of England by Germany...
serialised in Hong Kong newspaper
Media of Hong Kong
Media in Hong Kong are available to the public in the forms of: television and radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. They serve the local community by providing necessary information and entertainment.-Overview:...
The China Mail
The China Mail
The China Mail was an English-language newspaper published in Hong Kong from 1845 to 1974. David Smith, who had started on the newspaper in 1971 as the sports editor, was the acting editor at the time of its closure...
from 30 September through 8 October 1897. The work, written in the form of a historical account, describes an imagined Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
landing at Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's Deep Water Bay
Deep Water Bay
Deep Water Bay is a bay on the southern shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The bay is surrounded by Shouson Hill, Brick Hill, Violet Hill and Middle Island.Beneath the hill of Violet Hill is a beach, Deep Water Bay Beach...
, followed by shelling
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
of Victoria Peak, a sea battle in the Sulphur Channel
Sulphur Channel
The Sulphur Channel is a narrow inshore passage between Green Island and the northwest tip of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The Sulphur Channel is mainly used by small craft and inter-island ferries passing between Victoria Harbour and the East Lamma Channel.The channel was named after HMS...
between Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
and Green Island
Green Island, Hong Kong
Green Island is an island off the northwest coast of Kennedy Town on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, separated by the Sulphur Channel. A smaller island nearby to the east, uninhabited, is called Little Green Island...
, and a last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
at Stonecutters Island
Stonecutters Island
Stonecutters Island or Ngong Shuen Chau is a former island in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Following land reclamation, it is now annexed to the Kowloon peninsula.-Fauna:...
in which British forces
British Forces Overseas Hong Kong
British Forces Overseas Hong Kong consisted of the elements of the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Much of the British military left Hong Kong prior to the handover in 1997. The present article focuses mainly on the British garrison in Hong Kong in the post Second World War era...
were decisively defeated. The story was intended as a criticism of the lack of British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
funding for the defence of Hong Kong; fears of invasion were driven by French expansionism in Southeast Asia
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
and increasing Russian influence in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
. It was speculated, but never proven, that members of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
read the book in preparation for the 1941 Battle of Hong Kong
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
, in which Japanese forces overran Hong Kong (via the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
, rather than Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
) in just 18 days. In terms of its style, it follows the model laid out by George Tomkyns Chesney
George Tomkyns Chesney
Sir George Tomkyns Chesney, KCB, CSI, CIE , British Army general, brother of Colonel Charles Cornwallis Chesney.-Biography:...
's The Battle of Dorking
The Battle of Dorking
The Battle of Dorking: Reminiscences of a Volunteer is a 1871 novel by George Tomkyns Chesney, starting the genre of invasion literature and an important precursor of science fiction...
, but is noteworthy for its attention to detail, even giving real names of individual soldiers and ships; one reviewer described it as "unique" in its verisimilitude, stating that only William Le Queux
William Le Queux
William Tufnell Le Queux was an Anglo-French journalist and writer. He was also a diplomat , a traveller , a flying buff who officiated at the first British air meeting at Doncaster in 1909, and a wireless pioneer who broadcast music from his own station long...
's The Invasion of 1910
The Invasion of 1910
The Invasion of 1910 is a 1906 novel written mainly by William Le Queux . It is one of the more famous examples of Invasion literature and is an example of pre-World War I Germanophobia, as it preached the need to prepare for war with Germany.-Background:The novel was originally commissioned by...
and Cleveland Moffett's The Conquest of America could compare to it.
The Back Door received renewed attention in October 2001, when it was republished by Hong Kong University Press under the title Hong Kong Invaded! A '97 Nightmare. The republished edition, at 328 pages in length, was accompanied by a variety of scholarly discussion; the actual text of The Back Door itself occupied barely one-sixth of the book's length. The title of the republished edition was intended as a form of misdirection
Misdirection
Misdirection is a form of deception in which the attention of an audience is focused on one thing in order to distract its attention from another....
and a joke to the reader, evoking fears over the 1997 handover of Hong Kong
Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong
The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, referred to as ‘the Return’ or ‘the Reunification’ by the Chinese and ‘the Handover’ by others, took place on 1 July 1997...
to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Bickley was criticised by one reviewer for the cartoon-like illustrations included with the book, and the fact that she had spent so much time on historical analysis of what was described as a "mediocre piece" of fiction.
External links
- Hong Kong Invaded! (publisher's official page)