Paul French
Author
Language
English
Description
New York Times bestselling author Paul French (Midnight in Peking) returns to the Chinese capital to tell 18 true stories of fascinating people who visited the city in the first half of the 20th century.
From the ultra-wealthy Woolworths heiress Barbara Hutton and her husband the Prince Mdivani, to the poor "American girl" Mona Monteith who worked in the city as a prostitute, from socialite Wallis Simpson and novelist JP Marquand, who held court...
Author
Language
English
Description
For the privileged a cosmopolitan pleasure ground; For the desperate a port of last resort.
A pot of gold at the end of an Oriental rainbow; A thick slice of hell denounced from the pulpit.
The start of a journey for many; The end of the road for some.
A place to find fame, or to seek anonymity; Rogues, chancers, showgirls, criminals...
For so many people from so many lands, there was one phrase, that sent a tingle of hope or a shiver of anticipation...
Author
Language
English
Description
1930s Shanghai could give Chicago a run for its money. In the years before the Japanese invaded, the city was a haven for outlaws from all over the world: a place where pasts could be forgotten, fascism and communism outrun, names invented, fortunes made - and lost. 'Lucky' Jack Riley was the most notorious of those outlaws. An ex-Navy boxing champion, he escaped from prison in the States, spotted a craze for gambling and rose to become the Slot King...