As a lieutenant in the US Marine Corps—as handsome and cocky as Richard Gere—Michael Stuart was once considered an officer and a gentleman. But that’s all changed. Now he’s seen as a renegade, a traitor and a thief.
Stuart is a man without a country … and perhaps without a prayer. Why? Because in a daring plot to foil the Japanese puppet regime in China, he set out to reinstate the country’s true emperor. Known now as the Red Dragon, Stuart is a soldier of fortune in war-torn Manchuria—and a man of honor in a world of treachery.
Stuart’s latest adventure takes him from Peking to the Great Wall and beyond. He’s in a race against time and against the Japanese super-spy known as the Hell-Cat, both of them in hot pursuit of an elusive black chest. For Stuart, the ultimate prize is one filled with mystery, power, and treasure—not only in the chest itself, but in the love of the beautiful woman who has sent him on this mission.…
“Hubbard delivers a tidy finale that shows why he was one of the most popular genre writers of his generation.” —Publishers Weekly
L. Ron Hubbard is universally acclaimed as the single most influential author and humanitarian of this modern age. His definitive works on the mind and spirit—comprising over 350 million copies in circulation and more than 40 international bestsellers—have resulted in a legacy benefiting millions and a movement spanning all cultures.
Wow… the racism in this really didn’t age well. I’m a book that was less than 100 pages long, you’d think there wouldn’t be room for it, but you’d also be very wrong.
I won the audio version of THE RED DRAGON in a Goodreads giveaway. Rather than a simple reading of the text, the Galaxy versions feature multi-cast performances with music and sound effects that add a lot to the experience, like the best of the old-time radio dramas. I thought the young lady who played the damsel-in-distress did an especially good job with the material with which she had to work. The story itself was one of Hubbard's lesser efforts: a former U.S. Marine has established himself as the Zorro-like Red Dragon in mid-1930's China and then encounters the aforementioned damsel, whom he naturally rescues and then presumably they live happily ever after. I got the feeling that China was a very small place with very few people living there; the story would have worked well for me had it been a small Montana town, but as it was it wasn't very convincing. It was a lot of fun to hear, though.
First audio book ever! Yay! This is a great moment in my life. Audio books it seems just aren't my thing. My attention span just isn't cut out for it. I'm not going to blame this on L. Ron Hubbard, but on my attention span. I constantly was wanting to do something else. Ooh look a fly. No but seriously not my thing.
This is a trilling adventure along the line of an Indian Jones adventure set deep in China.
There are non-stop twists and turns as the Michael Stuart takes on an unexpected quest and finds himself charged with the care of a beautiful woman and a mysterious treasure. Get ready for a very fun ride through an exotic locale.
I highly recommend this adventure—it is a must in the collection.
Originally published in 1935 by the magazine "Five Novels"
Re-published in 2013 by Galaxy Press.
Long before L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) became the creator of Scientology, he was a pulp fiction writer. He did this for nearly 20 years, with his first writing credit coming in 1932. The Red Dragon was originally written for a monthly publication called Five Novels.
Synopsis
The Red Dragon starts out very much like an Indiana Jones movie - an American damsel in distress is in China looking for the archaeological find her father had told her about. He has left clues to its location and she is seeking someone to help her. The site is located in Manchuria - a disputed zone under Japanese control in what would eventually become the beginnings of World War II in Asia (unknown to Hubbard at the time because Pearl Harbor attack was more than six years away).
The mysterious Michael Stuart has stepped up to help. His nickname is The Red Dragon because he is audacious and because he had red hair. He is disreputable in both the Japanese and Chinese controlled areas for reasons never made clear in this 92 page novella.
So, Stuart and the damsel in distress head off into Manchuria with assassins following and the Japanese Army waiting...
My Review
This adventure story has a little bit of everything - car chases, pistol fights in hotel rooms, a pistol fight on the Great Wall of China, love, daring escapes, clever disguises. But, the story sort of peters out at about two-thirds of the way through.
Be aware that this story is 90 years old and it shows its age when it comes to racial stereotypes.
For me, the funniest scene in the book is completely unintentional. At one point The Red Dragon steals the uniform of a Japanese officer and sneaks into a hut/pub to get some information. He blacked his hair with cooking grease, rubbed yellow dust all over his skin to give it a different color (not kidding), and taped back his eyes to make them look more Asian. With all of these questionable tricks, he is concerned that the locals will notice his gray eyes - not the tape on the eyes!
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I stumbled across it while looking for Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. I have read L. Ron Hubbard way back before GoodReads, Battlefield Earth and The Mission Earth series. I thought might as well give a try from his early work.
If you want to get a sense of the Golden Age of pulp fiction, this is a good choice. This story checks off the exotic local, an adventure quest, cliffhangers, and a quick pace of storytelling. For the time period, it does what is expected, draws the reader into the world of adventure.
Now when you read this, you must keep in mind that it was written in the 1930s. There are some tropes that do not hold up well. However, I expecting to see a lot more than there was. You do get some cringe, but it could have been a lot worst.
If you need to kill some time, and want to try something from the past, this can help statisfy that need.
Vintage pulp fiction set in China in the 1930s, give or take. Expect racism and damsels in distress. At the same time, it wasn't as bad as I expected. Despite her propensity for being useless, the heroine showed gumption and the hero had a bit of the Scarlet Pimpernel/Robin Hood vibe going for him. A short read, one I wouldn't recommend specifically, mostly fun for the historical background provided before and after the actual story.
At the 5 week mark, no CD in sight. Sent a message to some others winners and no one has gotten theirs either.I also sent a message to publisher a around a week ago and I have not heard back from them yet. If I hear ahytning I will post it here.
It is now June 16th (winners were announced April 27th) and I still haven't recieved this CD.I also haven't heard back from the publishers even though I have sent them multiple messages.
I finally heard back from the publisher.They apologized and said they were sending it. Hopefully that means everyone can expect it soon.
Well 2 more weeks have passed and have not seen it and no more messages from publisher.My suggestion is if you won a copy and have not received it yet, drop a line to the publisher as wll. Maybe if enough people bug them about it, they will send them out.
I heard from the publisher again with a promise I should recieve it in a few days.Another winner also contacted them and got the following:
"Hello. Thank you and so sorry for that. Here is what you do. Email pbreyer@galaxypress.com and tell him you didn't not get your book or audio. That is was probably lost on media mail. List your address and name and we will reship today! It's faster to go this way. Let us know when you get it!"
So for any other winner still missing thisone, you should probably try that.
I finally got my copy on July 15, 2013.
Ok , time for my actual review--for the second time. It seems this bit was erased for some reason.
This was a multi-cast, unabridged (2 hours or so) presentation. Even though there was multiple people, it is still mainly told by the narrator.
The story is that a young lady is continuing the work of her father in the Orient. She is looking for a mysterious black box. She will have to face dastardly collectors, an assassin named the Hellcat, soldiers from several Oriental nations, and the rogue known as The Red Dragon. The Red Dragon is like a Robin Hood of the Orient. The story is set in the 1930's.
From the Golden Age of Pulp, this story has the strengths and weaknesses typical of stories from that time. The action is good and the setting has taken on an exotic feel. But somethings are woefully out of date, such as the treatment of women.(Think more damsels in distress than woman.)Very much in the Indiana Jones genre(yes, I realize this story predates Indian Jones), this is a fun story. The problem is that there is nothing to really make this story stand out from a lot of others that followed and were as good or better.
I have a problem with audio books. I never know what i am supposed to do when I am listening. Frankly, I get bored just sitting and listening(or fall asleep). If I try to listen while doing something(like driving),I obviously am not paying fullattention to the story.(To the other drivers while I listened to this one, you are welcome that I didn't pay full attention.) The audio form just doesn't draw me in as much as a book. Perhaps I will give the book a try if I ever get through my want to read pile(haha-like that will ever happen).
Overall this is a fast, decent story. I would recommend going with the book though. Also I am not too sure about getting it through the publisher. Of course, I was not a paying customer since I won it but they did not impress me in how they handled getting the books out. Hopefully they treat their paying customers better.
One final thing. This giveawaay ended April 27th. I complained and complained and they finally sent an audio and a copy of the book for it being so late. Now almost a month after I reviewed it, I got another copy of the audio on August 23rd with a note saying sorry it took so long to get the review copy to you. Hahaha
An exciting World War II story. This audiobook, The Red Dragon, is a military-related short story from 1935. It’s about the story of Michael Stuart, a red haired former US Marine lieutenant who has been abandoned by his country and is unable to escape from China. He’s known as the Red Dragon, who tries to improve the world. In this story, he helps a beautiful woman as she searches for a mysterious black chest that her father buried in Manchuria. Adding to the danger is the price the Japanese military placed on Mike’s head, along with evading the treasure hunting dangerous George Blakely.
The author, L. Ron Hubbard, is best known for his research on the subject of Dianetics and later Scientology . What most people may not realize is that he was a prolific fiction writer from 1932 to 1950. And, this story was from that era. With over 300 works, Hubbard wrote in different story genre, including Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Western. He was also known to have used various pseudonyms, including Legionnaire 148, Lieutenant Scott Morgan, John Seabrook, Tom Esterbrook, and Mister Spectator. The three stories in this set were probably influenced from this own military service in the US Navy in the 1940s, including World War II. Although he served, much of it was spent ashore in the continental US. And, his claims of what he did in the military conflicts with the official records.
With a multicast presentation, this audiobook was very entertaining. The narrators from Golden Age Stories allows one to lose themselves in this book with no noticeable problems that pulled one out of the story. In addition to the different voices this book was peppered with music and sound effects, making one believe that they’re being chased by Japanese Soldiers in China. All, enhancing this exciting adventure story.
Even though this adventure story was first published almost 80 years ago, I enjoyed listening to it today while believing that it could have just as easily been written within the last few years. A great listen for anyone wanting to enjoy a good short story on a long road-trip. Overall, if you like World War II war stories, this audiobook, The Red Dragon, is probably worth listening. It’s an exciting Indiana Jones’ style search for treasures in enemy occupied territory.
I fear I am beginning to repeat myself with these reviews. The Red Dragon is now the ninth L. Ron Hubbard pulp fiction story that I have listened to and reviewed. That’s a lot. I think that I have now read/listened to more of his stories than any other author. It’s easy to do when the Audio CD’s are easy listens with their multi-cast performances.
I love listening to old time radio shows. It’s perhaps one of the more ‘strange’ things I’m into (read: I’m not strange, just nerdy to varying levels of eccentricity). These audio CDs by Galaxy Audio are awesome to listen to while stuck in traffic with their sound effects and fun voice acting. I can never really find any fault in their production. They are short; really most of these stories are really more like short stories/novellas than a novel, but that’s fine. It’s easier to keep up, at least it should be.
My problem with The Red Dragon was that I did not listen to it nonstop. (I prefer to place blame on myself, but I think that there is indeed something a little off with this story.) I had a hard time understanding what was actually going on with the story. There were a few more political intricacies and action details that were lost on me. I don’t think that I really understood enough to get the full impact of it. That said, the ending made me smile and sigh and so I clearly liked it enough.
Like I say with all of these reviews, if you don’t like those elements that are typical with early to mid-twentieth century pulp fiction, you won’t like these stories. Yes, the man comes into rescue the damsel in distress, who of course falls immediately in love with her knight in shining armor. Yes, there are instances of racism/ignorance and the action can be a little ridiculous. But when read/listened to through the understanding of the time it was written in, I think that they are great examples of that genre.
It’s time for more action-packed adventure from one of America’s most prolific writers, L Ron Hubbard! During the 1930’s and 40’s Hubbard wrote literally hundreds of stories in almost every genre of literature and sold them to the various publications of the day. Now Galaxy Audio is gathering up all those stories and re-creating them in stunning three-dimensional sound featuring a cast of talented voice actors, sound effects, and original music.
By the age of 18, Hubbard had traveled twice to Asia via the Pacific Ocean. It was on his second journey that he met an “old China Hand,” British secret service agent, Major Ian Macbean, who ushered Hubbard into what was known at the time as “The Great Game,” involving a three-way tug of war between the British, Chinese and Japanese. It was through Macbean that Hubbard learned of a secret and dangerous society known far and wide as The Red Dragon—comprised of murderers, blackmailers, thieves and thugs.
The Red Dragon features all the same high-quality music and sound effects that I’ve grown accustomed to in Galaxy’s productions, and the same voice talents including R F Daley, John Mariano, Erika Christensen, and Jim Meskimen. Even if you are an avid audiobook reader it’s possible that you may not have heard of these people. They’re not what I would call big names, yet, but they are indeed very good at what they do. In Galaxy’s multicast productions the stories are not just read, they are actually acted out and in many cases the voice actors are called upon to perform multiple roles in the same story. This cast is definitely up to the challenge: they play their parts well, and their voice characterizations are well done and believable.
A plucky damsel in distress, a dashing hero, dastardly villains and a missing treasure: combine them with a bit of dramatic dialogue, an action-packed plot and a tiny bit of romantic intrigue and you have the perfect recipe for a prize pulp fiction story. Sending the reader back in time to the golden era of this genre, The Red Dragon introduces us to Michael Stuart, a former Marine who has used his talents to undermine the Japanese in China. His work has earned him the title of the "Red Dragon" and a bounty on his head. A wanted man, his life is worth little to him and he's willing to risk it to aid a beautiful young woman in her search for a mysterious black box that, according her recently deceased father, holds a fortune. Trailed by spies and killers, the two cross China through dangerous territory in search of the treasure that is Betty's only hope of escape from China. Will they be successful? Or will their adventure end in death for both of them? With its multi-cast performance, background music and sound effects, this audio book is sure to entertain anyone looking for a thrilling, melodramatic read that doesn't require much imagination or thought. It may not be great literature, but it's fun and short...the perfect bit of entertainment in between your more "enlightened" reading! The production makes a relatively humdrum story into something enjoyable.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Galaxy Press / Library Thing in return for this unbiased review.
“Great China Adventure From A Master Story Teller.”
Betty Sheldon is in Peking looking for a guide to take her into Manchuria, where a Black Box is hidden, supposedly worth more than a million dollars. She is almost captured by a white man working for the Japanese. It seems the Chinese and Japanese both want the treasure, and willing to kill for it. But the mysterious Red Dragon steps in to rescue the girl, and then offers to lead her into Manchuria for the Black Box. The Red Dragon is actually an ex-American marine, who has been stranded in China, and wanted by authorizes of both nations, the Chinese and Japanese. Their journey is filled with danger, gun battles, and near death escapades, and in the final action, they are surrounded by troops of Japanese soldiers coming in for the kill. How will the Red Dragon get them out of such a predicament?
This short novel was originally published in the February 1935 issue of FIVE NOVELS magazine. There were no sequels with The Red Dragon, or the character could have been a recurring hero. Although he doesn’t wear a mask, he wears twin holsters tied down with matching .45s, and is ambidextrous. The action with this ex marine turned adventurer is fun and non-stop action. A great adventure yarn from a master storyteller, and highly recommended.
Although I have read hundreds of books over my life, this was my first audiobook which I played over the course of a week as I drove to classes on my daily commute. Published through Galaxy Press, I won this in a giveaway through Goodreads and I have to say I consider myself lucky. Although L. Ron Hubbard in his later years became a much more controversial figures, throughout the 1930s and 40s he displayed a keen talent for adventure and science fiction. Since I finished this book, I have been spurred to pick up another one of his short novels. Without giving away too much of the plot, it involves a former Marine as the protagonist who fights against the Japanese in the midst of WW2 during their occupation of China. Meeting with a beautiful woman, he helps her search for a lost chest hidden by her now-deceased father. If you enjoy listening to old time radio programs like the Shadow, or are just looking for an easy way to pass those long drives, I strongly recommend you consider this book.
In between my longer reads, I like being able to toss in a little something else to mix it up.
Something short and attention grabbing that breaks me away from my usual read before starting another.
Which is why I like the pulp fiction stories by L. Ron Hubbard.
The Red Dragon was a great, short read with a hint of mystery, action, and of course a little love.
I love that the characters are never fully defined so the tall, dark, and handsome Red Dragon reminds me sort of like Zorro… or Robin Hood. He’s kind of the “steal from the rich to give to the poor” kind.
Ms. Sheldon was no lady either. She stepped right into the action without any hesitation that a typical woman may have in that era.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a fun read that I couldn’t put down.
If you are looking to mix up your reading list a little bit, this is definitely one I would recommend checking out – it’s short, fun, action packed with a bit of love (but not enough to be gushy) with a bit of handsome cowboy tossed in it!
I received "The Red Dragon" through Library Thing Early Reviewers. "The Red Dragon" by L. Ron Hubbard is about Michael Stuart, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer. His career ended when after a failed attempt to return the Chinese Imperial Dynasty to power in 1930's Asia. Abandoned by his country he is unable to find a safe passage out of his China by land or sea.
Now Stuart, also known as the "Red Dragon" has a new occupation: he intervenes in matters for the good of the people. Stuart agrees to help a beautiful young woman search for a mysterious black chest which her father hid in Manuchuria before his death. Their quest takes them from Peking north to the Great Wall of China and beyond.
I enjoyed this story from the Golden Age. The Red Dragon is full of action and suspense. Stories of the Orient are favorites of mine to listen to. I love the music and sound effects. When I listen to these stories I feel like I am listening to the old radio shows of the 1930's.
L. Ron Hubbard’s pulp writings from the 20s and 30s are all being reissued and I’ve listened to 3 of them now. They are what they are. Pulp fiction. Lots of adventures written very quickly and put out rapidly. I’ve found them hard to review because they are of their time and Red Dragon is no different. But I did like this story better than the other ones I had listened to.
The story is set in China which always seems like an exotic setting and therefore catches my interest. The plot has a young woman trying to follow a map her father gave her to some potential treasure while needing to keep it a secret from others who also want it. It reminds me strongly of an episode of “Escape” which is one of my favorite old time radio shows. There are master criminals, adventures, romance and treasure. If you like pulp fiction, this isn’t a bad example.
I received this as a Early Reader giveway from LibraryThing and I appreciated the chance to listen to it.
This was a good audio book. Mike Stuart is the Red Dragon. He was once a soldier and respected man, but life changed drastically for him. He is now feared and playing countries against each other. He agrees to help a young woman on her search for a treasure that her father left her a map to. He must go through terrible danger and bring them both out alive but keeping her alive is now what his life is about.
I really liked how the story flowed and the characters. Mike was great. He was a great bad guy. Probably not really a bad bone in his body and he is fiercely protective! I really liked the clarity of the audio in this. It was a book I could listen to in the car with my children and they completely enjoy it as well.
I rate this a 4/5. I do enjoy these old stories and the narrator is great.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
Nostalgia. That was the overwhelming thought and emotion I had after listening to this audiobook.
Nostalgia, because it is written so well, that listening to it you can see the characters and the events, as if you are watching a movie from the 50s. Galaxy, the publisher, called the series: the Golden Age. And it is. The book, the author, and the imagined-movie-in-my-mind were all reminiscent of the golden age of literary work in the early 20th century, and the golden age of cinema.
Adventure, spy story, romantic lines and action (lots of it), all presented in clear language, and easy to follow plot. Galaxy also did a great job with the narrators voice and the sound effects.
All in all, I really enjoyed listening to this book.
(disclaimer: I won this book on GoodReads. But I would have also given it the 5-stars review even if I didn't)
This is an action packed adventure for the U.S. Marine Corps. Michael Stewart's career had ended. He now has a new career. He ignores the danger to help a woman to find a black chest that her father had hidden just before his death. Her father had been murdered. It has become a deadly game of hide and seek. Traveling north of the Great Wall of China. Inside the black chest is a treasure. Stewart has become known as the Red Dragon after using his skills to manipulate the Japanese,
Will they find the treasure? Will they make it out alive? You've got to read the Red Dragon to determine if they make it out and how things turn out. It's an awesome ending.
This was given to me from Galaxy Press from LibraryThing for my honest thoughts and review.
I received a free early reviewers audiobook of Red Dragon from LibraryThing in exchange for a honest review. This book is well written with lots of action. Red Dragon reminded me of the old radio stories and short stories that were published in newspapers and magazines from my childhood. The audiobook comes with complete sound effects and a different voice for each character which allows you to use your imagination and almost makes you feel like you are part of the story. I love the way L. Ron Hubbard writes. I thoroughly enjoy the excitement when reading or listening to L Ron Hubbard's adventure stories.
This is the fourth or fifth of these old time radio type broadcast CD's that we have listened to, and they are really great. They are done just like years ago when the sound effects that we know today were not even known, and the reader's inflection gave you the "sight" to just visualize what was taking place in the story.
These are a real "trip down memory lane" but there is nothing wrong with doing that and realizing how far we have come in many facets of life but especially in our CD's of today.
We love the sound affects as much as the stories due to great readers of these L. Ron Hubbard remakes.
Looking forward to getting more of them to listen to.
I received this audio book from a friend at BookCrossing.com. I enjoyed the story very much. It was suspenseful causing me to sit in my car even after arriving at my destination. The CDs are excellent and the packaging and inserts are colorful and interesting. The story is set in China prior to the 2nd world war and we get a peek at China in that period although not much history is covered. The voice actors are first rate as well as the sound effects. An enjoyable way to pass your commute.
It's a typical action story/romance with a happy ending. Good entertainment.
I received this from a giveaway. It was the first audiobook I've ever listened to. The story in general is good but the audiobook is set more like a movie with your eyes closed. If I wanted to watch a movie with my eyes closed I would do it. I personally don't like the audiobook. But everyone is different. The story line was good and full of detail and I did enjoy that. The damsel in distress theme seems overplayed. I would give the BOOK probably 4 stars and the AUDIOBOOK 2 stars.
Thank you GalaxyPress for allowing me the opportunity to review this audiobook!
A nice audiobook. Listening to this adventure will take you back to 1930s and a search to find a treasure. The voices make you feel as though you are listening to a 1930 radio show. Will Michael Stewart, a hunted man known as the Red Dragon, locate the treasure and finally be able to flee from China? L. Ron Hubbard was a super author who provided much entertainment over the years. Thanks Galaxy Press and Goodreads for providing me this fine work of fiction. People of all ages should enjoy these tales of fiction.
I received this book free for review. This audiobook has a great cast and I loved the background sound effects used. I could definitely lesson to more L. Ron Hubbard stores if made this good. If not in audio format I probably would not have considered reading The Red Dragon, it's not the type of book I'm usually intertied in. The actual story was ok but I did enjoy it so much because it was like lessoning to a movie or radio drama, it was short and sweet.