Sze-yuen Chung is a veteran Hong Kong politician and an important figure in the development of Hong Kong over the past forty years. He has played a significant role in Hong Kong's political, economic, educational, and social development from its time as a British colony to its designation as a Special Administrative Region of China. Indeed, he is probably the only native son of Hong Kong who was closely and actively involved in the entire process of transferring Hong Kong's sovereignty back to China.

These memoirs record Chung's personal experiences in Hong Kong's political scene in the two decades between 1979 and 1999 and his role in the Sino-British negotiations that led to the transition from British colonial rule to a position of autonomy under Chinese sovereignty.

Chung's reflections — much of which are published here for the first time — are a valuable source of information on this important period in the history of Hong Kong. It will be of interest to all those who wish to know what actually happened during those pivotal years when the future course of Hong Kong was determined.