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The Abalone Ukulele: A Tale of Far Eastern Intrigue Paperback – June 29, 2021
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Three ordinary men, a disgraced Korean tribute courier, a bookish naval officer, and a polyglot third-class quartermaster realize they must foil Japanese subversion and -- with sub rosa assistance from Asiatic Station -- highjack that gold to finance a Korean insurrection. Three ordinary women complicate, and complement, their efforts: an enigmatic changsan courtesan, a feisty Down East consular clerk, and a clever Chinese farm-girl.
It is a tale that wends through the outskirts of Peking to the Yukon River; from the San Francisco waterfront to a naval landing party isolated on a Woosung battlefield; from ships of the US Asiatic Fleet moored on Battleship Row to a junk on the Yangtze; and from the Korean gold mines of Unsan to a coaling quay in Shanghai. Soon a foreign intelligence service, a revolutionary army, and two Chinese triads converge on a nation's ransom in gold.
- Print length372 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherNew Academia Publishing/ The Spring
- Publication dateJune 29, 2021
- Dimensions6 x 0.77 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101735937819
- ISBN-13978-1735937816
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Editorial Reviews
Review
-- Joseph A. Williams, Author of Seventeen Fathoms Deep and The Sunken Treasure
*****
"Crossland's tale of shenanigans, greed, nobility, slivers of grace, propels across a geography spanning Shanghai, the Klondike gold fields, and San Francisco's wharves. His characters are elemental, with a commedia dell'arte quality. Occasionally details intrude on flow, but clues to a mystery are sprinkled skillfully throughout, keeping the reader turning the page."
-- Loretta Goldberg, Author of the award-winning novel, The Reversible Mask
*****
... Crossland's skill in spinning this yarn is quite commendable. He captures the chaos that was Shanghai in 1913 quite well, incorporating the competing military factions vying for power, the various criminal syndicates, the attempts to maintain law and order, and life in the bustling city itself. A haven for many bluejackets stationed on the USS Pluto, Madam Guan's "Lesser Shanghai Indian Club and Garter Society" on the Lane of Lingering Joy will be an important component in a quite complicated plot.
-- Dr. David Winkler, Staff Historian at the Naval Historical Foundation and current Charles Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
*****
This book is an interesting fictional read concerning a place and time at the forefront of a series of events that would envelop the world in war, the outcome of which still governs the world we live in. If Far Eastern history is of an interest to you, this is a must read.
-- Charles H. Bogart, "PowerShips" (The Magazine of Engine-Powered Vessels Published by the Steamship Historical Society of America)
*****
A first-rate historical tale . . . Crossland skillfully interweaves historical events and characters with fiction, providing an insightful, intimate look at a pivotal period in history. . . He infuses the deeply engrossing plot with the knowledge that lives become most vivid in small moments of connection, and reveals his ideas about love, morality, greed, and power play through his protagonists' tangled life stories. The prose is rich with emotion, empathy, and human drama, and Yi and others are compelling in their basic goodness. This ambitious, insightful, and intricately rendered story of individual struggles and international power play makes for a wholly compelling read. Crossland is an author to watch.
- The Prairies Book Review
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : New Academia Publishing/ The Spring (June 29, 2021)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 372 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1735937819
- ISBN-13 : 978-1735937816
- Item Weight : 1.09 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.77 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #473,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,250 in Sea Stories
- #2,439 in War & Military Action Fiction (Books)
- #3,810 in Action & Adventure Manga (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
With the benefit of thirty-five years’ service, active and reserve, as a U.S. Navy SEAL officer (two hot wars. one cold), Crossland has found projecting his grasp of naval intrigue one hundred years into the past an agreeable challenge.
Captain Crossland has written internationally on the subject of maritime unconventional warfare and includes U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings and the New York Times among his credits. His historical crime novel, Jade Rooster, received the Admiral David Glasgow Farragut Book Award for naval literature in 2008.
Recently The Abalone Ukulele was awarded the Admiral David Glasgow Farragut Book Award also.
In December of 2022, in recognition of his contribution to military and naval literature, and having been an actual combatant, or otherwise involved, in special operations in the Far East (Vietnam and nine trips to Korea) and Afghanistan, CAPT Crossland was awarded the Military Order of Saint Louis by the Saint Patrick's Priory of the autonomous US Grand Priory of the International Templar Organization (OSMTH).
Customer reviews
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Captain Crossland continues the fine tradition of maritime historical fiction established by renowned author, Patrick O’Brian, and leaves the reader turning the final page and hoping desperately that more will follow.
-Steve Robinson, Author of the book ‘NO GUTS, NO GLORY – Unmasking Navy SEAL Imposters’ (2002); a former enlisted US Navy SEAL whose service was contemporary with Captain Crossland.
Whether you're an Old Salt reliving memories, a young Striker anticipating excitement, or an Arm Chair Sailor vicariously sharing in naval maneuvers, Petty Officer Hobson and Lieutenant Junior Grade Draper will escort you through an international adventure complete with intrigue, mayhem, violence, friendship, and romance.
And best of all it comes wrapped in historically correct naval customs and traditions.
A must read for any fan of naval history written by someone with 35 years of US Navy service!
I loved the accurate representation of the happenings in this story to fit the 20th-century China era. The suspense arising from political tension added a thrill that I loved. However, I found characters that were randomly introduced and discovered some gaps in the later life of the protagonist. These make me give this book only a 3 out of 5.
Delivers a true sense of adventure- mixed with historical events
A definite read for all mariners who dream of the days with the great white fleet
Brings to life the early 20th century Far East waterfronts.