A wonderful follow-up to Hammond's first foray into Hong Kong cinema, Sex and Zen & Bullet in the Head, Hollywood East is a more detailed account of Hong Kong cinema today. The book has a forward by Michelle Yeoh. The book is organized in the following manner: 1) an overview of Hong Kong, the city, where to purchase movies and memorabilia, where to see movies, and a funny aside of the top ten Hong Kong imagined dangers followed up by the top ten real dangers. Hammond seeks to dispel the mythical Hong Kong as porrtrayed by film and present briefly the real Hong Kong where millions reside. 2) An intro to the astounding work of Johnny To and Milky Way Productions. For those in the know, it will be a fun review and to the uninitiated, Hammond provides a starting point of these must see films 3) a similar overview for Wong Kar Wai 4) an overview of cop/triad films 5) an overview of martial arts films including an extensive review of Shaw Brother's filmography - a must read for Shaw Brothers junkies! 6) the Hong Kong horror genre 7) Jackie Chan and his films 8) sexy chick flicks and girls with guns 9) Jet Li and his films 10) John Woo and his films 11) crazy stunts and the stories behind them 12) extreme cinema, shock cinema for example: the Untold Story 13) other resources including web listings Also included are very funny inserts called "Hex Errors" that have outrageously translated subtitles for each section and a glossary of terminology. There is also a 16 page color insert of mini biographies of up and coming stars including: Michelle Yeoh, Shu Qi, Karen Mok, Michael Wong, Aaron Kwok, Pinky Cheung, Aimen Wong, Athena Chu, Christy Chung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Kelly Chen, Gigi Lai, Sam Lee, Wu Chien-Lien, Michelle Reis and Gigi Leung. One does wonder how Yeoh fits in this category though. The book is fun, easy to read and factfilled for repeated reading. A must for all Hong Kong cinema buffs!

If the films of Jackie Chan and Jet Li have just gotten you interested in Hong Kong cinema, then this is an excellent book to read to learn more about the HK film industry and what other movies you might want to check out. It's a fun and easy read, featuring reviews and commentaries by several "guest authors" that help make it a rounded volume. From old school kung fu films to new wave filmmakers, this book touches on almost all of them and will leave you excited and ready to explore the wacky world of Hong Kong cinema.

Stefan has written an excellent book on the much misunderstood world of HK cinema. This is a cleverly written train of thought book on all aspects of the industry. It is imformative enough for the true HK buffs and easy for the uninitiated to understand.

Aaaargh, what's happening ???!!! Why is the sense of déjavu so strong in this one, especially following right after Thunderpoint??!!!

I give the books 3 stars because it is fast moving action-packed with a simple plot peppered with some witty dialogues, enjoyable especially for those who had not read Higgins' previous works.

Character-wise, is it my imagination or is the old BG Ferguson, veteran of Korean War, getting more and more into the action, seeing him accompanied by different aides (the female in this one is so similar to the one in Eye of the Storm, but of course *SPOILER* Higgins can't use her 'cos she had a thing against Dillon).

The introduction of physical/mental therapy for Dillon through Chinese arts was refreshing, but frankly, the short duration it took stretches the credibility.

Our heroes seem to make the same mistake again as in Thunderpoint, namely, going after vital objectives while being clearly outgunned when they could have been more careful. And of course, there is slight rehash of Luciano's Luck later in the book.

The interesting character was Asta, an enigmatic woman who had no problem shooting to kill but couldn't take care of a drunken lout, namely, one Fergus Munro. Those familiar with Higgins novels would immediately notice this character has the worst of two of Higgins' famous creations : Dougal Munro and Dougal Munro 2nd generation Ferguson, without any of their redeeming qualities.

Another bright spot of this book though, is that the villains (Mafia) got news of the Chunking Covenant before a mole leaked out the information to the establishment (heroes). Usually in Higgins story, it is the other way around.

I only read this book because I was bored one day. It was my husbands and he had never read it yet. I started and could not put it down. Dillon is an incredible character Asta, was equally good. One of the best books I have ever read. It only took me a few hours to read it cover to cover. Keep them coming this good

This was the first Jack Higgins book I've read and it certainly won't be the last! The characters were well developed from the start and seemed likeable... although they don't act morally all the time. The plot concerns the handing over of Hong Kong in 1997 and with HK just being handed back to China, it's a timely read. Our main character is Sean Dillion, a former notorious mercenary and gifted thespian, who now works for the British government. His boss is Charles Ferguson, an astute man with worldly experience in international matters. Making up our trios of heroes is Hannah Bernstein, appointed secretary to Ferguson and also chief of Scotland Yard. The foes they come up against are the Mafia in the form of Carl Morgan, his step-daughter Asta and other assorted baddies around to thwart the deeds of our gallant protagonists, who are trying to recover a signed form stating that HK will stay independent until another 100 years. This letter of priceless importance is located in the highlands of Scotland. There, the two forces battle it out with wits and a deadly game of cat-and-mouse until there is only one winner! A great novel with enough twists to make a dry martini drunk! Read it and expect to be thrilled... until you read it again, anyway!

I truly enjoyed reading this book. The authors are obviously very literate people. The book is written as an in-depth introduction to some very good HK films. Each film reviewed is broken down; its characters are studied, as is the overall theme of each film. I recommend this book over ones like Sex and Zen and a Bullet in the Head, because City on Fire treats the films with understanding and respect. HK films aren't all just kung-fu and category 3 (similar to NC-17 in the U.S.) There are some fine dramas and action films that need to be treated with respect, because some of the finest films ever made come from Hong Kong and this book gives those films the respect they deserve.

this is a fun yet challening read (he uses a lot of "plush" phrases that some of us (me) will have to look up. But it's a new way to write about a populist medium lik HK cinema.

HK people should be delighted that someone gave their work a high brow treatment.

A terrifically useful guide for the HK film fan, and the endnotes are a wealth of information for researchers and writers. It's a most affectionate account of the films of the 1980s and 1990s, and provides a quite Confucian reading of the cultural and political background against which the films were made. Gossipy too -- a bonus!

I was so excited to read this book but was greatly disapointed when I begun, because the romance aspect was left to the background and the political part dominated the story to the point of bordem. There was way too much information and pages and pages of textbook information on jade and how it is crafted and set into jewelry or ancient swords for the Chinese. The romance between the main characters Lianne and Kyle was so rushed and didn't make much sense. I wasn't sure why he was trying to seduce her and why she even fell for him when she was centered on her work? I feel like I missed out on the plot here.

~Kyle Donovan is trying to get to the bottom of the disappearance of cultural treasures from the Tang vaults. He and his brother are trying out there own business at gem trading and treasure hunting. This discovery would be a coup, the only thing he didn't expect to get tangled in was an international gem ring that will bring him close to a woman who not only beautiful, but also suspected of theft of the famous Tung vault treasures hundreds of years old.

Lianne Blakely is the illegitimate daughter of a powerful Hong Kong trader and his American mistress. She is being accused of theft. Not just any ordinary theft, but the theft of ancient treasures. Millions in jade. She meets Kyle and he believes her, but she must find the real thief. Together they venture into the sordid world of international gem thievery, power plays and dangerous people that would rather see them dead than give up the beauty of the ancient jade.

Tracy Talley~@

Lianne Blakely, the illegimate daughter of a Chinese trader (Johnny Tang) and his American paramour, is told to "pick up" Kyle Donovan by her father (though he will not explain his reasons). Kyle Donovan, in the business of gems, is also told by his brother (Archer Donovan) to get into the Tang family for information through Lianne.

Both have their agendas, and do not expect to be attracted to each other, much less fall in love. The plot thickens when Lianne is framed for the theft of jade amounting to millions, and Lianne and Kyle must find the real culprit and figure out what's going on in the Tang family.

This book has been thoroughly researched. There are a lot of information on jade, which may get tedious, but which I still find fascinating. A great read, and one of the best of the series.

Though it lacks a bit of Amber Beach's quick repartee, Jade Island is definitely the better book. The characters are more developed, deeper and more complex.

Anyone who has ever been trapped between two worlds, never really belonging in either, will understand and love Lianne Blakney. She is beautiful, funny, and intelligent, but also deeply hurt by her family's disregard. Lianne is also full of useful information about jade and chinese culture. If you leave this book without having learned something, then you should probably read it again. I found it fascinating.

Kyle Donovan was burned pretty badly in the first book, and is wary of women. His self-depreciating humor is endearing, as is his wary concern for Lianne. The setting was also worth the cover price. I love Seattle, and the entire Pacific Northwest!

All in all, this is a much better book than the first. I look forward to watching the other Donovans.

If lace doilies could read, they'd love Jan Morris. Yes, she's a facile writer. Her sentences are at once both sinewy and elegant, and her book is rich with detail. However, reading Hong Kong by Jan Morris is like surveying the wreckage after a car bomb explodes a national archive. Miles of shelves have dumped their contents; and all the pages have been blown off their bookbindings. What remains are heaps of torched and scattered passages having little to no connection, except in catastrophic coincidence. To think of it another way, imagine learning animal husbandry by studying the floor of the butcher shop: odd scraps of meat, tangled ligaments, knotty tendons, and splattered blood. Collectively, they suggest "animal," but all the meaning and life has been stripped away. No one is going to learn to raise pigs that way. Similarly, I couldn't understand Hong Kong by reading Hong Kong. Perhaps I'm too harsh. Her book was neither a terrorist act nor even a massacre. In fact, at times her flowery writing is intoxicating. Nevertheless, I got the feeling that in her mind, Morris writes to seduce William F. Buckley, Jr., and that's just sick.

At least one of the reviewers on this list was unkind about the book, but I think it only fails, in the manner that all single-volume histories do, by trying to cover so much in so little. I have only read the unrevised 1990 Penguin paperback and only after I had already worked in Hong Kong in the early 90's. I wish I had read it before I went there, because it would have helped me to make sense of the total assault on the senses that HK is.
If you want, or need, to have more context than a guidebook will provide, this is where you will get it.

I thought that this was a very readable, informative and entertaining portrait of Hong Kong. I can't attest to the book's accuracy as I've not yet visited Hong Kong, and it did feel a little out-of-date as the edition I had was written just prior to the British withdrawal in 1997. I can, therefore, only judge the book on how well it maintained my interest, which it did throughout.

Jan Morris uses a mixture of anecdotes, personal impressions and history: what the reader does not get is a straightforward history, nor a "travel book". Rather, it is a combination of both, and I thought that her method worked well, enabling her to make direct contrasts with the past, contextualising her impressions of the place.

As far as I could tell, Morris does not limit her examination - no parts of Hong Kong society are neglected. There is a good scattering of maps, which I found very useful. The photos in my edition could have been a bit less grainy though. But above all, I'm intrigued to know how an "electric ash tray" is supposed to operate (even though I don't smoke) and, more fascinating than that, what on earth an "electronic stud-finder" is supposed to be used for!!

This was a good read, fast-paced with a lot of mystery and intrigue. I also enjoyed the romance that developed between Tanisha and Wheeler. Both of the characters were well developed and both expressed real hesitations about entering into an interracial relationship. The only thing that annoyed me to no end was Cannell's use of black slang. It would have been a great addition to the reality of the scenes if he had known what he was talking about. As a young black college student who often comes in contact with "street slang" I wonder how well Cannell researched this aspect of his novel. Certain street terms were defined incorrectly and therefore used improperly throughout the novel, while others just would never be used in the situations Cannell put them in. But, except for this major distraction, the novel was excellent, especially his examination and portrayal of Tanisha as a strong and resilient black woman...except for when she started "talking street".

Extremely fast paced, with lots of adventure and excitement, this book will keep you on your toes, always wondering what will happen next. Our main character, Wheeler Cassidy, is well developed, and stronger than his initial description leads us to believe. He is the brother of Prescott Cassidy, who is murdered in his office. Wheeler must find the strength and the courage to avenge his brother's murder, but he has no idea what he is getting himself into. Teaming up with a tough lady cop from Asian Crimes Division, Wheeler sets out on a journey that will have international repercussions. Wheeler's mother is a strong character that will stay with you. The story takes you up many roads, bumpy and directionless, blindfolded. You will enjoy excitement and adventure while getting your money's worth. The only problem I had with this book was keeping all of the characters straight. Once the author gets into China and Hong Kong, you'd need a listing in front of you to understand who everyone is. Still, the plot is great, the story well written, and it's a very good read.

Stephen J. Cannell has created a stunning book that combines ingenious plotting with insightful characterization. RIDING THE SNAKE slithers through the deadly and byzantine world of Chinese Triads, a deadly variant of organized crime that makes La Cosa Nostra look like the Girl Scouts.

The unlikely hero of Cannell's latest work is Wheeler Cassidy. Wheeler is an American classic, a pathetic, spoiled country club drunk who is resurrected by the perils of Cannell's gripping plot.

The unlikely alliance between Wheeler and a cynical, black cop, Tanisha Williams, is enriched by Cannell's extraordinary gift for idiom and detail. Throughout the book one is struck by the honesty and richness of dialogue. And no matter how treacherous the jeoprady, Cannell manages to enliven the proceedings with unexpected, and completely welcome, humor.

RIDING THE SNAKE is not just a sensational thriller, it is a revelatory expose of the threat posed by Chinese organized crime. Cannell has done his homework. The book is an eye openner.

Cannell plots better than Grisham or Clancy and renders characters with greater resonance than Dilillo or Russo. RIDING THE SNAKE is an unforgetable read and, inevitably, will be a wildly popular movie.

Remember that book about HK movies from a few years ago called Sex & Zen & A Bullet in the Head? Well this book is just like that only it talks about K-movies. With the articles, tons of reviews, and cool style, KCTNHK is the best book on the topic and looks great on my bookshelf!

Ignore the negative reviews. This is a great read and a great reference book. It's fun, informative and detailed and is ideal for new fans of Korean cinema. It has been very useful to me. I have found myself dipping into it a lot. The reviews are spot-on and opinionated. A great book - wish I had written it myself. Buy it. You won't be disappointed. The only people who may be disappointed are those who know more than the author and are even bigger experts. Maybe they should write their own books.

Korean Cinema: The New Hong Kong is a refreshing change of pace from other texts on the subject in that it avoids the dense and very dry tone of academia and is thankfully free of pretension. As a result, it is very accessible to the average reader and provides a good basis for understanding the underpinnings of the growing success of South Korea's film industry.

The book is comprised of two distinct parts. The opening chapters provide some background on South Korea and the current state of its film industry, and though this may be something that some readers may wish to skip, it provides context for readers in understanding what makes Korean films special. Also, the author's style keeps the read light and interesting, so it is actually fun to read.

The second part consists of a number of reviews (I counted at least 80) of recent Korean films grouped by genre. One thing I liked about the author is his digressions into related topics in his reviews, such as how he discusses the alternate history genre in science fiction in his review of 2009 Lost Memories, or how he dabbles in guerrilla journalism in taking apart less-than-worthy films.

Whether you have developed an interest in Korean film or have been watching them for a few years, this book is an excellent companion and will help you build your DVD collection. For the author, I would suggest that he think about expanding the book in the future to include interviews with some Korean filmmakers and add more reviews (with the number of Korean films being released on DVD growing day by day).

Our bookclub reads a wide variety of interesting books, some good, some not so good. The Language of Threads presented us with an opportunity to read about the experiences of both the Chinese and the British in Hong Kong in WW2, as well as to share a little with the select group of Sisters of the Silk.

How disappointed were we?

The Language of Threads reads like a hastily thrown together novel, and we found ourselves wondering if it were the poor sister to a richer "Women of Silk". The lead character is flat, with little exploration of her inner world, and as a main protagonist she is unable to hold the novel together. There were so many opportunites to take this book further. Instead we got threads, which were sadly lacking.

Although many of our readers were fascinated by the historical component, and we all agreed that Mrs Finch was a lovely woman, strongly drawn and powerful, we felt that this book was missing something. None of our group had read anything by Gail Tsukiyama before, but we all felt that we should try Women of Silk. It sounded so much more promising than this thinly woven sequel.

Firstly, a quick note to some other reviewers - if you are going to give away part of the plot in your review, warn the reader first - some of us look at the review *before* we read the book, and want to find out for ourselves what is going to happen, not have it told to us beforehand.

Okay, rant over. The Language of Threads is the sequel to Tsukiyama's successful first novel 'Women of the Silk'. It tells the story of Pei, who travels with the orphan Ji Shen to Hong Kong. She has to start her life anew, whilst living through the Japanese occupation. This is a story set in a fascinating time and place, with some interesting characters.

I think that this book is an improvement over its predecessor. The writing is much less laboured, and the dialogue flows a little better. The characters are fleshed out a little more, and we understand their motivations better. The book refers often to events and actions in the preceding book - I think you would really have to have read 'Women of the Silk' to know what is being talked about some of the time.

This is not the best novel i have read set in this time or place, but stacked up against her previous effort, it looks okay. Tsukiyama is obviously finding herself as a writer the more she does it, and if i come across another of her novels in the future i will probably read it.

This year I was introduced to the author Gail Tsukiyama when a book group I belong to chose to read The Samurai's Garden. Gulping this book down in a matter of hours and loving every page, I then read her newest book Dreaming Water and Tsukiyama's first book Women of the Silk. Both books were wonderful and now that I have finished the sequel to Women of the Silk, The Language of Threads, I wish I could be reading all of these books for the first time.

The Language of Threads picks continues the story of Pei wh we first met in the previous book Women of the Silk. The Language of Threads begins in 1938 Pei at 28 is bound for Hong Kong and the Japanese have begun occupying China. At the age of 8, Pei who was given by her parents to the Sisterhood to become a silk worker. But now the silk factories are all but gone and the other silk workers are scattered around China trying to steer clear of the Japanese. Accompanying Pei on this voyage is Ji Shen, a 14 year-old girl, who after watching her parents and sister killed by the Japanese made her way to the girl's house of the Sisterhood where the silk workers vowed to care for her. When the time comes for Pei to leave the area, she cannot forget the promises made to Ji Shen and makes plans to travel and care for her.

Once in Hong Kong, Pei is reunited with other sisters of the silk factory who now work as domestics in grand homes. Pei is immediately employed but learns the hard way that she won't be treated as fairly as before in Hong Kong. When she is accused of stealing from her employer, she is forced to leave her job. But fate steps in and Pei finds herself working for a kindly English woman, Mrs. Finch who also allows Ji Shen to live with them. As the months pass and the Japanese become more and more of a presence, these three women become very important to one another and act towards each other as if they are family members. But once again life turns and when Mrs., Finch is sent to an internment camp for British citizens, Pei must not only find a way to care for herself and Ji Shen but to survive the Japanese takeover of Hong Kong. And when tragedy strikes, once again Pei must make a life for herself and all those she holds dear.

The Language of Threads is a wonderful book although at times it is equally heart breaking. We first meet Pei at 28 and when the book finishes she is 62. Her story is well told and like the strands of silk she once handled comes together quite poignantly at the end. And we, as readers rejoice in her life filled with dark days overshadowed by triumph and ultimately joy. Like the characters from Tsukiyama's other books Pei is a well-crafted character who you will think of as a real person and won't soon forget.

I really loved both Women of the Silk and The Language of Threads and cannot recommend them enough. Besides offering solid characterizations of the people, I learned about the lives of those young women sent by their families to work in the silk factories and life in Hong Kong during the Japanese takeover of China before and during WWII. Most of all what I will always remember about these two books is the courageous woman who made a worthwhile life for herself and others against all odds.

Christopher Patten's sharp analysis based on his unique perspective is an interesting read for anyone interested in Hong Kong and China. The book certainly has moments where Patten as colonial leader or lifetime politician show through, but these only add to the rich quality of this intriguing book. Those who find it dull should stick to Crichton, Michener, and Koontz. For this with an interest in public policy, China, and an important historcal event this book is well worth th read. For a personal memoir check out Ting-Xing Ye's A Leaf in the Bitter Wind a well written book about a woman's famil history and incredible life experiences.

Chris Patten has seen and lived things which few other Westerners lived. As the last Governor of Her Britannic Majesty in the former British colony, Chris Patten has not just lived history, but made it. This book therefore comes as an indispensable tool for understanding the political, social and economic change of Hong Kong, China and Asia in the late twentieth century. It is extremely well-written, very long yet concise and pleasant to read, and filled with truly interesting and relevant information - for the expert and the casual reader alike. A wonderful reading for almost everyone.

Last British Governor Chris Patten remains optimistic about Hong Kong's future in this book; as long, he argues as the high degree of personal freedom the Hong Kong Chinese enjoyed under British rule is respected by Peking; perhaps a tall order, given that most of Hong Kong's population is made up of millions of refugees who fled China for the safety of the British colony between the 1950s and the 1980s. Yet it is good to read again the old arguments for decency and fair play that I heard Patten make while I lived in Hong Kong in the 90s. Patten offers many examples of British law and Chinese hard work paying off in old Hong Kong. This book is "the best case scenario" argument for Hong Kong's future. It reminds me of the cool, rational responses Patten would give to the latest strident denunciation from Peking about "colonial oppression"; Patten was for awhile there practically the only voice that would patiently remind China that it was up to Peking to reassure all its millions of citizens who had fled, and perhaps it was time for Peking to reassure all those people it was about to take back. The only thing I feel Patten doesn't play up enough about Hong Kong (I assume to help Hong Kong save "face", so important in Chinese culture) is the fact that any of those refugees who arrived in Hong Kong with marketable skills and talents tended to emigrate further, to the First World, to begin new lives and new careers there; making those who were stuck behind all the more in need of reassurance from China. The book also contains a quite a few personal anecdotes (though not as many as one would wish) about Hong Kong life that allow readers to glimpse the rough underbelly that is so much apart of Hong Kong: my own memories were awoken by the anecdote of the rich Hong Kong Chinese property developers, gambling magnates, and shipping famlies who buy expensive wine but then mix it with fizzy lemonade; the lack of any good bookstores in Hong Kong; the seamy fact of all those Kowloon girlie bars the size of aircraft hangers so popular with Mainland business "coach parties." This is a subtle-polite way to get across that coarser side of Hong Kong that, again, Chinese notions of "Face" do not wish to be talked about when discussing "the Paris of the East."

The book also deftly flushes the old racist arguments of "Asian Values" put forward by Singapore's dictator, Harry Lee Kuan Yew, but a lot of the fire has already gone out of those since the collapse of the "Asian Tiger" economies back in 1997.

A good supliment to this book is Jan Morris's *Hong Kong,* which contains a moving, vivid description of the massive refugee migration which has put such an indelible stamp on the Hong Kong of today; Morris's book also contains a lot about the British, too, back to the earliest (if sordid!) days of mutual interest when British merchants would bring opium to the region and Cantonese merchants would distribute it throughout China, to the vast enrichment of both - a good example in a nutshell of the profitable-yet-roguish aspect of Hong Kong's character from day one.

Another good compliment to Patten's book is Paul Theroux's literary novel of the Handover, *Kowloon Tong,* a great read and a fine depiction of the Hong Kong of that time, highly evocative to expats who lived there but have moved on back to the West, you will find in it aspects and attitudes of Hong Kong people, both Westerners and Chinese that can still be seen today; so accurate it is banned on the Mainland!

I can't believe some of the negative comments I've read here by other reviewers. Whether or not you agree with Fonoroff's opinions, this book is an authorative and informative document covering the decade from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. Unlike a lot of Westerners who review Hong Kong movies on DVD long after their release, Fonoroff saw them when they first came out, and his reviews include many topical references that give an overall feeling for the time and place in which they were made. Plus, there's over 600 reviews in the book, covering all the major and most of the minor movies of the period. There isn't another book in English like it.

I found the book extemely useful as a reference, particularly since the credits are in both English and Chinese. This is especially useful to movie fans over here in Singapore, where most HK movie fans would know the titles only in Chinese and often there is little or no relationship between the movie's Chinese and English titles. As for the reviews themselves, I found them interesting, critical, and even when I didn't agree with them I felt I learned something from a different point of view.

This book has universal appeal for all film enthusiasts. Fonoroff's comments are full of wit and wisdom. He provides a lively overview of a ten-year span of Hong Kong movies. Even though only a few of these films may be familiar, the reader gains insight into the essential elements that define a good movie -- in any language.These reviews show why Fonoroff has become a popular film critic and historian in China today.