Richard Addis, who has worked so closely with me on the writing of this book. He is the great-grandson of Charles Addis, who was in many ways the face of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in China in the late nineteenth century.
My connection with Charles Addis is that I have worked for twenty-seven years for HSBC, partly in Hong Kong and partly in London.
Charles Addis had a highly successful banking career, and, after his return to London in 1905, became increasingly involved as an adviser to government in international financial negotiations, both before and after the First World War. He was also keenly interested in literature and culture, and was a deeply religious man. His convictions underpinned everything he did. He believed strongly that international financial stability was essential to world peace. And he never believed that commerce could thrive without integrity.
He once wrote that “the ultimate basis for all economic conceptions is ethical.” He was right.
I could not have written this book without Richard’s invaluable support.
In addition, my heartfelt thanks go to Brian Griffiths, who read the draft not once but twice, at different stages of its evolution, and provided a wealth of ideas and strong encouragement; to Lesley Perry and David Walsh, who brought fresh eyes to the text and suggested crucial refinements; to Helen Conford, the commissioning editor, who brought all her experience to bear in support of an amateur at book writing; to Sara Dare, who helped greatly with the logistics of getting the book finished; and of course to Jay, who readily and patiently puts up with me in the midst of her own busy life.