Tai-Pan Part 1 Of 2

Asian Saga: Publication Order #2, part 1 of 2

by James Clavell, John Lee (Narrator)

It is the early 19th century, when European traders and adventurers first began to penetrate the forbidding Chinese mainland. And it is in this exciting time and exotic place that a giant of an Englishman, Dirk Straun, sets out to turn the desolate island of Hong Kong into an impregnable fortress of British power, and to make himself supreme ruler…Tai-Pan!

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Classics, Asia

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

James Clavell, born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell was a British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and POW. Clavell is best known for his epic Asian Saga series of novels and their televised adaptations, along with such films as The Great Escape, The Fly and To Sir, with Love.


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James Clavell. (2007, November 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:16, November 14, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...

Reviews

[Anastasia Bodrug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nu e atât de interesantă ca Shogun, dar cu siguranță voi continua seria Saga Asiatică.

[Byron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a remarkeble book, such amazing writing. The book is about European trading, advetures and becoming the best. It’s about trading opium and becoming powerful. I really loved the words used and how the language used is an older and some words I need to look up. Includes things about history, sea voyages and sea trading. Gave it 4 starts do to the amazing writing and technicality of the book. This is a great book for people who love history and novels about adventures and love, not a good book if you don’t like older language styles and adventures.

[Manea Ionut · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nu numai fizionomia face farmecul unui om, ci mai ales ce se află dedesubt, în inima şi-n sufletul lui."

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolut großartig geschrieben und mit herausragender Bravour ins Deutsche übersetzt.

[Billie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too long, too techincal, a bit racy for me.
Basically, I wanted all the story lines to tie together and they didn't so it was hard to keep everyone straight and find out there was no reason to try. A bunch of different lives going about their day in history. As far as history and geography, I found it interresting. Was recommended by hubby, who read the entire series. I stopped on this, my first.

[Mandy Partridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Queen Victoria was the biggest drug dealer in the history of the world, then Dirk Struan, the 'Tai-pan' is her Main Dealer in Hong Kong.
Clavell sets his novel just after the 1842 Opium War which won Britain the right to deal smack to the Chinese, and got them the island and surrounding bay of Hong Kong. The Brits did a double whammy, sending ships from London to India, to buy the opium, then on to china to trade smack for silk, porcelain and tea, sending these luxuries back to England, and creating an underclass of opium addicts in China, who later met a grisly fate and started the international crime Triads.
Struan sees all the capitalist and military advantages of this once-in -a-lifetime deal, and sets up the trading colony of Honkers like his own little opium-dealing empire.
They gloss over Queen Victoria's international smack business for some reason, God knows why?
Clavell was born in Australia, but lived most of his life, after his war service and years as a POW in Java, in Britain, the USA and Canada.

[Arne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book way back and to be honest I'm not sure why I haven't gotten round to writing the review... I think there is some confusion from my side on whether the whole saga is a super culturally insensitive western appropriation glorifying the poppy trade and if so, how do I admit that I really liked the story.
#Confused

The characters are strong, the historic backdrop is epic and the end is heartrending.

I specifically recall two "episodes";
- The scene where May-May tries to dress like a fancy western woman and it fails dismally.
- The saga with the Malaria, my wife is expecting at the moment, 20 weeks and counting so I'm super sensitive to any content involving unborn babies

Fantastic and far reaching. Would recommend.

[Adrian Sirbu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cartea nr. 9 din 2023 - Tai-Pan - volum 1
Anul 1841, Imperiul Britanic castiga insula pustie a Hong Kong-ului, exact cum isi dorise Dirk Struan de 20 de ani, Dirk fiind seful (Tai-Pan, conducatorul suprem) celei mai puternice companii comerciale din Orientul indepartat, Nobila Casa.
Este despre a-ti pastra cuvantul indiferent de situatie, viclenie pentru a negocia astfel incat sa fii mereu in avantaj, curaj si antrenarea obiceiului de a vedea imaginea mai mare, de ansamblu.
Suspans, razboi, dragoste, pirati, actiune, familie, intorsaturi de situatie, are de toate fara doar si poate.

[Bindu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderfully written!
But its not my kind of book. Hence the 3 stars!

The Tai Pan of the noble house. As usual, the Brits way of occupying territory in the name of making them civilized and lead them to THEIR God and ways of life, forcing the rest of the world lose its culture, ethics, customs and peace!

Extension of their barbaric and selfish work in America, Africa, India and NOW China, TaiPan is a closer look at these Barbarians way of thinking!

[Vernon Yarker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the best books I have ever read, it is not usual to read a book twice, but if I come across it again on a bookstall I will buy it and read it .

It is an insight into the opium trade and the mystic mind, and ritual, of the Chinese of the time. I didn't know an awful lot about China when I read this book in the late 1960s, but I felt that I had become an expert after I had finished the book

[Rolandas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is set in Victorian times, when England was trading opium for silk and tea with China. The story centers around powerful merchants and their ruthless struggle for wealth and influence. The book vividly captures the atmosphere of the era and skillfully weaves in elements of East Asian culture and tradition. You can truly feel the tension and contrast between two vastly different civilizations.

[holataiyaki_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro lleno de aventura por la vida de Dirk Struan, de principio a fin te engancha y te hace reaccionar de diversas formas.
Fuera de la novela hay muchas cosas que aprendes y que incluso te da lecciones de vida.
Si eres amante de las aventuras marinas seguro lo amarás y si no lo eres apuesto a que también.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is about the foundation of Hong Kong and a nice journey about the social life and customs of China at that time (19th century). I have a bias toward historical novels and as such I liked it but this kind of narrative might not be to anyone's taste

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is about the foundation of Hong Kate no and a nice journey through the social life and customs of China at that time (19th century). I have a bias towards historical novels and as such I liked it even 5hough this kind of narrative may not be of anyone’s taste.

[Ranette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two men in China fight each other for dominance in the opium trade. Their children fall in love with each other and marry and a huge storm destroys many homes and livelihoods. The younger son takes over the business. Lots of sexual encounters.

[RutaD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visiškai atsipalaidavimo ar atostogų knyga.Nuotykiai, konkurencija, santykiai, kultūrų skirtumai, meilė, išdavystė, pasiaukojimas, jūrininkai ir intrigos. Pačiumpa nuotykių sūkurys ir nepaleidžia iki I dalies pabaigos. Norisi kuo greičiau čiupti antrąją.

[Indymoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous adventure yarn with protagonist & antagonist to match. I didn't want the chapters to end, but found each new chapter started opened up another great ride.

[Olvasho · Rating 4 out of 5]

[9.2/10]

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t really finish it. Very orientalist in framing, and story wasn’t exciting or interesting enough to make up for it

[Alyssa Carmelli Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastical book 😭

[Adrian Byass · Rating 3 out of 5]

read the book not listened to the cassette - wrong 'choice' earlier. love the city, the era and the story. enough to get me through.

[Povilas K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book

[Eric Leeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic series! Highly recommend! This is my second time reading.

[Dovile Pan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyg veiksmo filmas popieriuje: piratai, išbandymai jūroje, pavojai, intrigos, egzotika, laivai, salos, tolimoji Kinija, prekyba opijumi, šilku ir arbata.

[Ryan Riveros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming after Shogun, I really wanted to love this one, but I just couldn’t get into it. Some of the plotting and scheming was good, but I didn’t care for any of the characters, Struan and Mei Mei least of all. And as long as it was, it felt even longer. Such a crazy contrast from Shogun, which is one of my favorite books ever written.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tale during the founding of Hong Kong in the mid 1840 s.

[Ramūnas Žukauskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

[Teresa W]

Didn’t finish