Singapore Saga Vol. 1: Forbidden Hill

Singapore Saga

by John D. Greenwood

On 6 February 1819, Stamford Raffles, William Farquhar, Temenggong Abdul Rahman and Sultan Hussein signed a treaty that granted the British East India Company the right to establish a trading settlement on the sparsely populated island of Singapore.

Forbidden Hill (Singapore Saga, Vol. 1) is a meticulously researched and vividly imagined historical narrative that brings to life the stories of the early European, Malay, Chinese and Indian pioneers – the administrators, merchants, policemen, boatmen, coolies, concubines, slaves and secret society soldiers – whose vision and intrigues drive the rapid expansion of the port city in the early decades of the nineteenth century. While Raffles and Farquhar clash over the administration of the settlement, theScottish merchant adventurer Ronnie Simpson and Englishwoman Sarah Hemmings find love and redemption as they battle an American duelist and Illanun pirates. As the ghosts of the rajahs of the ancient city of Singapura fade into the shadows of Forbidden Hill, the new settlers forge their linked destinies in the ‘emporium of the Eastern seas’.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

420 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2017

About the author

John D. Greenwood was born in Elgin, Scotland, and educated at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford. He is currently a professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center, where he specializes in the history of psychology. He is the author of six books and numerous academic papers. He was a lecturer in the department of philosophy at the National University of Singapore from 1983-1986, when he first fell in love with Singapore, her people and her history. He returned as senior visiting scholar in 1999-2000 and as visiting professor in 2008-2009. He considers NUS to be his second academic home. He also returns regularly to Singapore to visit old friends and old haunts, and considers a trip to Pulau Ubin followed by chilli or pepper crab at in the evening at Changi Village to be a perfect day. He lives in Richmond, Virginia, USA.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So mediocre I'm reluctant to read the next book in the series.

[Annette Chidzey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having returned to Singapore prior to ending a recent sojourn overseas, I was drawn to this first of two consecutive novels exploring the emergence and rise of Singapore. Called Singapore Saga, ‘Forbidden Hill’, a reference to Canning Hill where I recently stayed. I love this location and lush setting and revel in writing that explores its distinctive history. In addition, this account introduced me to the origin of many man-made key landmarks in this city including Orchard Road, St Andrew’s Church, the Armenian Church among others. This was a sweeping narrative and the writing itself indicative of a historical epic. I now look forward to Volume 2, Singapore Saga, Chasing the Dragon.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Torn between 3 and 4 stars here. If you live in Singapore (or have or will) this is a good way to learn about her early history in a slightly less dry way than a pure history book. You will have many "aha" moments when people crop up and you learn who Scotts Road or Balestier Road are named after and many other historical tidbits. But my main issue is that there's almost no story as there are so many people to introduce and so much happening. I leave it to you to decide. I do intend to read the rest of the story though.

[Josie Deryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Every time I went to put it down I told myself “just a few more pages”. This story of the Singapore pioneers, pirates and local legends is both an informative and captivating read.

[Imran Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Learnt so much about Singapore’s history, and didn’t feel it was boring even once. Maps could’ve been clearer and so could characters. But a great read to get in touch with colonial history

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the founding of modern Singapore is well told and detailed in non-fiction books. As a setting for historical fiction, this is not the first attempt, though it has been quite some time, perhaps decades since a fictional narrative in this specific setting has been written. Greenwood is a historical enthusiast and new to fiction, this series being a recreational pursuit and work of passion. Undoubtedly well researched, the almost daily progress of the new settlement founded by Stamford Raffles, the cast of characters and the details of urban development and planning are well described to the extent and standard of an academic work. Fortunately the author created some fictional characters and their stories to go along with the general historical account. The tales of Chinese triads, bloodthirsty sea pirates and Malays run amok are intense and filled with very graphic violence, but are interspersed with long sections of rather dreary accounts of purely historical content, for example the debates about urban planning, taxation and such.

The subsequent two sequels supposedly expand the stories to include regional countries, so I will find out if this enhances my enjoyment given the less familiar ground they should cover.

[Pillococa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it. Yes there are many characters but very well described what happened in the area. Not an easy book to get your hands onto, but having lived in Singapore for 20 years, was able to get it in the main bookstore. Read the second one and just got my hands on the third one, which had proven even more elusive to find.
Throughly recommend it for anyone interested in the history of the region

[Kevin Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

An interesting and mostly factual source of information and colorful Stories about the early settlement of Singapore. While I already knew quite a lot about Singapore, I learned so much more from this excellent book.

[Topher Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greenwood's novel is well-researched.
Greenwood --
When writing historically: 4****
When writing historically: makes the history come alive
When writing fiction: 3***
When writing fiction: should avoid the love story and physical attraction stuff - his writing is cornball

[Daniele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. Learned so much about the beautiful country I call home for the last 8 years (the Raffles myth took a hit here...). Can’t wait for the other volumes to come out!