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    City of Devils: The Two Men Who Ruled the Underworld of Old Shanghai
    City of Devils: The Two Men Who Ruled the Underworld of Old Shanghai
    City of Devils: The Two Men Who Ruled the Underworld of Old Shanghai
    Audiobook9 hours

    City of Devils: The Two Men Who Ruled the Underworld of Old Shanghai

    Written by Paul French

    Narrated by Paul Chan

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    By Paul French, New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Peking—winner of both the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime and the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction—comes a rags-to-riches tale of two self-made men set against a backdrop of crime and vice in the sprawling badlands of Shanghai. City of Devils is a dynamic audiobook that will captivate listeners everywhere.

    Shanghai, 1930s; it was a haven for outlaws from all over the world: a place where pasts could be forgotten, fascism and communism outrun, names invented, and fortunes made—and lost.

    “Lucky” Jack Riley was the most notorious of those outlaws. An ex–U.S. Navy boxing champion, he escaped from prison and rose to become the Slots King of Shanghai. “Dapper” Joe Farren—a Jewish boy who fled Vienna’s ghetto—ruled the nightclubs. His chorus lines rivalled Ziegfeld’s.

    In 1940, Lucky Jack and Dapper Joe bestrode the Shanghai Badlands like kings, while all around the Solitary Island was poverty, starvation, and war. They thought they ruled Shanghai, but the city had other ideas. This is the story of their rise to power, their downfall, and the trail of destruction left in their wake. Shanghai was their playground for a flickering few years, a city where for a fleeting moment even the wildest dreams could come true.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateJul 3, 2018
    ISBN9781427298454
    Author

    Paul French

    Born in West London, Paul French first sought military adventure in the County of London Yeomanry and then 21 SAS (V). Here, Paul discovered a yearning for hard work and arduous duty. A subsequent defence contract took him to Abu Dhabi where he learnt of Rhodesia and its attractions. Holidaying in Rhodesia, Paul took the opportunity to join the Rhodesian Army, serving with the renowned Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts. In 1980, Paul moved to the South African Defence Force, joining its elite 6 Reconnaissance Commando. Upon leaving the SADF a career in private security followed. An accomplished skydiver, Paul has thousands of jumps to his credit, and still jumps today. Married to Petah, Paul has three children. He continues to work in the security industry and now lives in the South-west of England. Shadows of A Forgotten Past is his first book.

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    Reviews for City of Devils

    4.5/5

    12 ratings2 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Paul French writes an intriguing quasi history/historical novel that illustrates the wild nature of pre-World War II Shanghai through the lives of Dapper Joe and Lucky Jack. While he takes some liberty with the historical sources, it is somewhat forgivable since French admits it in the Preface. The lives of the two protagonists are brought brilliantly to life and shine a light into the chaos of criminal Shanghai. However, French often fails to bring rich personalities to most of the other characters in the book and sometimes his illustration of Shanghai in this period falls short. Overall it is an enjoyable read that could encourage further research into this fascinating period of the city.
    • 3/5
      Eventually I started becoming board with it. Very interesting though.