Aussie Readers discussion

There’s an amusing connection between my book, The Peking Payoff (an eBook freebie on November 22 and 23 – see my other post), and Noble House, the grand tale of my good friend James Clavell, which I don’t think has been picked up by any reader of the two titles. I got to know James well on his stays in Hong Kong, where I was based as a correspondent of The New York Times. He first spent some time there researching Taipan and subsequently returned to the colony to gather material for Noble House.

After The Peking Payoff was published in 1975 by Macmillan Inc, New York, as a hardcover book, James congratulated me and later let me know he was planning a new work on Hong Kong. After the publication of Noble House in 1981, he sent me a copy with a page reference, part of the text of which caused me to burst out laughing.

One of my characters in The Peking Payoff is a Chinese who worked for the Prosperous Hong, supervising lighter operations and the unloading of cargo from junks that sailed down the Pearl River from China. A falling crate crushed three fingers of his right hand, leading to his nickname of “Two-fingers” Wang.

In Noble House, James created an “old and weather-beaten” junk captain, who had lost the thumb on his left hand. He was called Four Finger Wu.

It was both a tip of the cap from James to The Peking Payoff and a private joke between us. He was a delightful man and a master of his trade.

That's lovely Ian...a wonderful story.

by James Clavell

Brenda wrote: "That's lovely Ian...a wonderful story.

by James Clavell"

Thanks, Brenda. Did you ever read his first book, King Rat, which I thought was great? Based on his time as a POW in Changi.

No I haven't Ian...I just looked at the blurb. It sounds good! His first hand experience of a not so nice kind. I've added it to my TBR, thanks:)

Ian,
as you know King Rat was made in to a film, as was Tai-Pan. Noble House was made in to a series.
Dirk Struan was so miss cast (IMO) in Tai-Pan,(no names), but Pierce Brosnan in Noble House fitted my image of Ian Dunross to a "T".
I bought my first copy of Tai-Pan in HKG in 1966 or 67 - it has since fallen to bits through use (bought another copy) - at that time I was at sea trading the China coast from Tiensin (as is was then)to HKG, so it seemed an apt book to read :-o)
I look forward to reading The Peaking Payoff. Is it available on the 22nd SYD time or UK time?

Geoff, in '66, '67 the Cultural Revolution was overflowing into Hong Kong. Hope you didn't get caught in the riots! We probably passed in the street.

The Peking Payoff will be available from the Amazon website, as per the URL, sometime early morning US Pacific Coast Time on the 22nd to midnight on the 23rd (two days). The starting time would then be soon after GMT 8 a.m. Friday (if I have my time zones correctly).

And some time after 8 p.m. Thursday, Sydney time. (The switch to "free" is not always exactly after midnight on the selected day.)

I don't know whether Amazon.co.uk makes books free at the same time as the US site. Must have a look this week.

Hope The Peking Payoff brings back memories of your time in Hong Kong.

(Just checked - 8.50 p.m. Sydney time Wednesday - re The Unintentional Jihadi, which I listed to be free today, 21st, and tomorrow, 22nd, and it is now free on both the Amazon US site and the Amazon UK site.)

I love,

James Clavell. What a wonderful writer, a genuine story teller. For me, Shogun, was his most epic, gripping book, but that said, nothing of his is anything less than superb.

James wrote: "I love,

James Clavell. What a wonderful writer, a genuine story teller. For me, Shogun, was his most epic, gripping book, but that said, nothing of his is anything less than superb."

Yes, James, he was a great writer. He has a marvellous way of using dialogue, which he developed as a writer of screenplays. And of course he went on to write, produce and direct his own movie, To Sir With Love.

Ian, I downloaded Peking Payoff without a problem yesterday evening. Listed it in my mind a TBR etc as I am in the middle of Daniel Silva book, but thought I'd give yours the once over. Wish I hadn't as I was up late last night reading it . . ! Only managed about 5% into the book, before tiredness took over, but it has me in its grip already.
BTW - my first China coastal trip (we sailed from Japan) was in '63, just after Kennedy had been shot - had to throw overboard my copy of Blue Ants - on Captain's orders, if you have read the book you'll know why.

Geoff (Scouse) wrote: "Ian, I downloaded Peking Payoff without a problem yesterday evening. Listed it in my mind a TBR etc as I am in the middle of Daniel Silva book, but thought I'd give yours the once over. Wish I hadn..."

Geoff, I'm delighted that you, as an old China coast-Hong Kong hand, are deriving some reading pleasure from The Peking Payoff. And yes, I can imagine your captain's concern re Blue Ants in Chinese waters!