Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Peking Express:
This trip took way longer than expected.
Quick synopsis:
The 1923 attack and subsequent kidnapping of the people on China’s Peking Express.
Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:
The Peking Express was actually bulletproof because bandits were expected to exist on the route. It didn’t do much help on this trip.
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
China took a while to warm up to railroads. In 1900, China had 10 miles of track as compared to the U.S.’s 193,000 miles worth.
My Take on The Peking Express:
I came for the train attack, but I stayed for the early 1900s geopolitics.
James Zimmerman’s The Peking Express tells the story of a train robbery and kidnapping in 1923 China. When I started the book, I expected a non-fiction thriller where each page contained heart pounding near misses and intrigue. I was only half right as there is plenty of intrigue but not a lot of thriller. And that is a good thing.
The book spends very little time on the actual train abductions and quickly transitions into a chess match between Chinese rebels and representatives of a very wobbly government. Another author might try to wring as much they can out of the train portions, but Zimmerman keeps the story moving and expertly explains the political environment of China during this time period without ever getting bogged down. We meet a lot of people, but we learn just enough about everyone to make them memorable before moving on to the next plot point.
This book could have gone wrong in many ways. However, Zimmerman keeps it interesting, fast, and informative without losing the reader’s interest.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Public Affairs Books.)
Verdict:
A very illuminating read. Read it! Buy it here!
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