Les Français de Shanghai, 1849-1949 / Guy Brossollet

The book traces the presence, activities and community of French nationals in the city of Shanghai from the establishment of the French Concession (from 1849) up to around 1949. It explores how the French settlement developed: the concession’s urban infrastructure (residences, clubs, hospitals, schools), commerce, leisure, and how French expatriates (diplomats, businessmen, missionaries, soldiers, families) interacted with local Chinese society and with other foreign communities. The book also situates the French community within the broader context of colonial-era Shanghai: political changes in China, the inter-war years, the complexities of cultural encounter, and ultimately the end of the French era in Shanghai with the communist victory in 1949.