Synopses & Reviews
An enthusiastic history of rampant Cantonese piracy in the 1930s, this first-hand account follows globetrotting journalist Aleko E. Lilius as he sets out to infiltrate mysterious pirate gangs. Describing every detail of the reporters life as he eats, sleeps, and sails with murderous gangs, this recollection chronicles the rapport between Lilius and South Chinas notorious pirate queen, Lai Choi San. Including the harrowing misdeeds witnessed on Liliuss journey, this record is a sensational, adventurous tale.
Review
"Lilius's forgotten classic reads as boldly and bloodily as a Chinese Treasure Island. What is perhaps most remarkable about this extraordinary piece of journalism is that the writer lived to tell the tale." —Adam Williams, author, The Dragon's Tail
Review
"Lilius's adventures remain as thrilling today as they no doubt were to readers of the time." —Meng-yun Wang, Time Out Beijing
Synopsis
It is 1930 and piracy is rampant on the South China seas. Murderous bands of cutthroats roam the Pearl River Delta and coastal shipping routes, an ever-present menace to the trade of Hong Kong and beyond. Globetrotting journalist Aleko E. Lilius sets out to infiltrate these mysterious pirate gangs, and eats, sleeps and of course sails with them, delivering a sensational, rollicking tale of adventure.
About the Author
Aleko E. Lilius was a Russian journalist, a writer, and an adventurer. He is the author of Turbulent Tangiers. Paul French is a Shanghai-based editor, writer, and analyst. He is the author of Carl Crow: A Tough Old China Hand, North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula, and Through the Looking Glass and the coauthor of Fat China and Oil and Water.