Shanghai Grand

Shanghai Grand tells the true story of three figures whose lives intersected in 1930s Shanghai: Ernest Hemingway's wife Martha Gellhorn, British expatriate Emily "Mickey" Hahn, and Chinese poet Zau Sinmay. The narrative follows their experiences in a city that served as both refuge and powder keg on the eve of World War II. The book recreates the world of Shanghai's International Settlement, where foreigners lived in luxury while surrounded by poverty and political tension. Through extensive research and original sources, Grescoe documents the complex social dynamics between Western expatriates, Chinese intellectuals, and Japanese occupiers during this pivotal period. Set against the backdrop of impending war, Shanghai Grand tracks the professional and personal lives of its central characters as they navigate romance, danger, and divided loyalties. The story encompasses journalism, espionage, opium, literature, and the final days of colonial privilege in China's most cosmopolitan city. The book illuminates universal themes about cultural identity and moral choices in times of historical upheaval. Through its portrait of Shanghai's last golden age, it explores questions of belonging, allegiance, and the role of outsiders in moments of social transformation.

Readers describe Shanghai Grand as a detailed portrait of 1930s Shanghai through the lens of three intertwined characters. The historical context and descriptions of the city's international culture receive consistent praise. Liked: - Rich detail about Shanghai's architecture, culture, and social dynamics - Integration of real historical figures with the narrative - Emily Hahn's character development and complex personal story Disliked: - Pacing issues in the middle sections - Some readers found the political background overly complex - Several note the narrative jumps between characters can be disorienting "The book brings pre-war Shanghai alive but gets bogged down in minutiae," notes one Amazon reviewer. Another reader on Goodreads states "Hahn's story deserved more focus than the surrounding historical context." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (180+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (90+ ratings)

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🌟 Author Taras Grescoe discovered this story while researching a totally different book about overfishing, when he stumbled upon mentions of Emily "Mickey" Hahn in old Shanghai newspapers. 🌟 The book's central figure, Emily Hahn, was one of the New Yorker's first female staff writers and kept a pet gibbon named Mr. Mills who would perch on her shoulder while she wrote. 🌟 The British American Tobacco Company, featured prominently in the narrative, was so powerful in 1930s Shanghai that it operated its own private navy to protect its shipping interests. 🌟 Sir Victor Sassoon, one of the book's main characters, built the famous Cathay Hotel (now the Peace Hotel) with an intentionally crooked design to allegedly ward off evil spirits. 🌟 During the period covered in the book, Shanghai was known as "The Paris of the East," with more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world, while also housing the world's largest slum.