Fortunate Sons

<p>In 1872 China--ravaged by poverty population growth and aggressive European armies--sent 120 boys to America to learn the secrets of Western innovation. They studied at New England's finest schools and were driven by a desire for progress and reform. When anti-Chinese fervor forced them back home the young men had to overcome a suspicious imperial court and a country deeply resistant to change in technology and culture. <em>Fortunate Sons</em> tells a remarkable story weaving together the dramas of personal lives with the fascinating tale of a nation's endeavor to become a world power.</p>