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Synopsis
An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing
Through portraits of eight White Russians, Americans, and Europeans who lived and worked in the Badlands in the 1920s and 1930s, Paul French brings the area and its era vividly to life. A small warren of narrow hutongs, the Badlands sat just inside the eastern flank of the Tartar Wall, which at that time enclosed the old Imperial City of Peking. Its habitués were a mix of the good, the bad, and the poor unfortunates, among them the fiery brothel madams Brana Shazker and Rosie Gerbert; the pimp Saxsen, who had no regard for the women he exploited; and the young prostitutes Marie and Peggy, whose dreadful working lives drove them into separate pits of madness and addiction. There was the cabaret dancer Tatiana Korovina, a White Russian girl who did not succumb to the vice of the district but instead married, had a family, and eventually left China to lead a long and happy life. There was the American Joe Knauf, who dealt violence and fear as well as drugs, and finally the enigmatic Shura Giraldi, of indeterminate sex, who was to some a charmer and to others a master criminal, but to everyone the uncrowned King of the Badlands.
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About the Author
Paul French studied history, economics, and Mandarin in London and has an M.Phil in economics from the University of Glasgow. He is a business advisor and analyst and the author of Midnight In Peking, for which he won the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime and the CWA Non-Fiction Dagger, and North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula.
Review
"A compulsively readable true crime work in the tradition of Devil in the White City.” —Atlantic.com
“An engrossing read.” – Oprah.com on Midnight in Peking
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherViking China
- Publication date2015
- ISBN 10 0670080993
- ISBN 13 9780670080991
- BindingHardcover
- LanguageEnglish
- Number of pages84
- Rating
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Badlands: Decadent Playground of Old Peking
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hardcover. Condition: Fair. Binding tight.Cover clean.Hardcover.Minor wear to page edges and corners. No writing, highlighting, or marks in text. Seller Inventory # 756087
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The Badlands: Decadent Playground of Old Peking (Hardcover)
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Penguin Random House Australia, Hawthorn, 2013
ISBN 10: 0670080993
ISBN 13: 9780670080991
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Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing.An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing.Through portraits of eight White Russians, Americans and Europeans who lived and worked in the Badlands in the 1920s and '30s, Paul French brings the area and its era vividly to life. A small warren of narrow hutongs, the Badlands sat just inside the eastern flank of the Tartar Wall, which at that time enclosed the old Imperial City of Peking. Its habitues were a mix of the good, the bad and the poor unfortunates, among them the fiery brothel madams Brana Shazker and Rosie Gerbert; the pimp Saxsen, who had no regard for the women he exploited; the young prostitutes Marie and Peggy, whose dreadful working lives drove them into separate pits of madness and addiction. There was the cabaret dancer Tatiana Korovina, a White Russian girl who did not succumb to the vice of the district but instead married, had a family, and eventually left China to lead a long and happy life. There was the American Joe Knauf, who dealt violence and fear as well as drugs, and finally the enigmatic Shura Giraldi, of indeterminate sex, who was to some a charmer and to others a master criminal, but to everyone the uncrowned King of the Badlands.In depicting this colourful cast of characters, Paul French was assisted by readers of the extraordinary Midnight in Peking, who contacted him from around the globe. As the family and acquaintances of people he'd written about in that book, they had stories and recollections to add to French's own research. The result is a short but potent account of a time and a place until now largely forgotten, but here rendered unforgettable. An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780670080991
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Badlands: Decadent Playground of Old Peking
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ISBN 10: 0670080993
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Badlands: Decadent Playground of Old Peking
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The Badlands: Decadent Playground of Old Peking (Hardcover)
Published by
Penguin Random House Australia, Hawthorn, 2013
ISBN 10: 0670080993
ISBN 13: 9780670080991
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Hardcover
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Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing.An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing.Through portraits of eight White Russians, Americans and Europeans who lived and worked in the Badlands in the 1920s and '30s, Paul French brings the area and its era vividly to life. A small warren of narrow hutongs, the Badlands sat just inside the eastern flank of the Tartar Wall, which at that time enclosed the old Imperial City of Peking. Its habitues were a mix of the good, the bad and the poor unfortunates, among them the fiery brothel madams Brana Shazker and Rosie Gerbert; the pimp Saxsen, who had no regard for the women he exploited; the young prostitutes Marie and Peggy, whose dreadful working lives drove them into separate pits of madness and addiction. There was the cabaret dancer Tatiana Korovina, a White Russian girl who did not succumb to the vice of the district but instead married, had a family, and eventually left China to lead a long and happy life. There was the American Joe Knauf, who dealt violence and fear as well as drugs, and finally the enigmatic Shura Giraldi, of indeterminate sex, who was to some a charmer and to others a master criminal, but to everyone the uncrowned King of the Badlands.In depicting this colourful cast of characters, Paul French was assisted by readers of the extraordinary Midnight in Peking, who contacted him from around the globe. As the family and acquaintances of people he'd written about in that book, they had stories and recollections to add to French's own research. The result is a short but potent account of a time and a place until now largely forgotten, but here rendered unforgettable. An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780670080991
Quantity: 1 available
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The Badlands: Decadent Playground of Old Peking (Hardcover)
Published by
Penguin Random House Australia, Hawthorn, 2013
ISBN 10: 0670080993
ISBN 13: 9780670080991
New
Hardcover
Seller: CitiRetail, Stevenage, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing.An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing.Through portraits of eight White Russians, Americans and Europeans who lived and worked in the Badlands in the 1920s and '30s, Paul French brings the area and its era vividly to life. A small warren of narrow hutongs, the Badlands sat just inside the eastern flank of the Tartar Wall, which at that time enclosed the old Imperial City of Peking. Its habitues were a mix of the good, the bad and the poor unfortunates, among them the fiery brothel madams Brana Shazker and Rosie Gerbert; the pimp Saxsen, who had no regard for the women he exploited; the young prostitutes Marie and Peggy, whose dreadful working lives drove them into separate pits of madness and addiction. There was the cabaret dancer Tatiana Korovina, a White Russian girl who did not succumb to the vice of the district but instead married, had a family, and eventually left China to lead a long and happy life. There was the American Joe Knauf, who dealt violence and fear as well as drugs, and finally the enigmatic Shura Giraldi, of indeterminate sex, who was to some a charmer and to others a master criminal, but to everyone the uncrowned King of the Badlands.In depicting this colourful cast of characters, Paul French was assisted by readers of the extraordinary Midnight in Peking, who contacted him from around the globe. As the family and acquaintances of people he'd written about in that book, they had stories and recollections to add to French's own research. The result is a short but potent account of a time and a place until now largely forgotten, but here rendered unforgettable. An evocative account by Paul French, author of the acclaimed Midnight in Peking, of the infamous nightlife district of pre-communist Beijing. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780670080991
Quantity: 1 available