The Abalone Ukulele: A Tale of Far Eastern Intrigue

By R.L. Crossland

Book Overview

The Abalone Ukulele: A Tale of Far Eastern Intrigue is an historical novel set in 1913 Shanghai, where four cultures are about to collide: China, Korea, Japan, and the US. The point of collision is three tons of Japanese gold ingots meant to undermine an already collapsing China. Three ordinary men, a disgraced Korean tribute courier, a bookish naval officer, and a polyglot third-class quartermaster realize they must foil Japanese subversion and - with sub rosa assistance from Asiatic Station - highjack that gold to finance a Korean insurrection. Three ordinary women complicate, and complement, their efforts: an enigmatic changsan courtesan, a feisty Down East consular clerk, and a clever Chinese farm-girl. It is a tale that wends through the outskirts of Peking to the Yukon River; from the San Francisco waterfront to a naval landing party isolated on a Woosung battlefield; from ships of the US Asiatic Fleet moored on Battleship Row to a junk on the Yangtze; and from the Korean gold mines of Unsan to a coaling quay in Shanghai. Soon a foreign intelligence service, a revolutionary army, and two Chinese triads converge on a nation's ransom in gold.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1735937819
• ISBN13: 9781735937816
• Release Date: June 2021
• Publisher: New Academia Publishing/ The Spring
• Length: 372 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"