Fragile Cargo
China’s Wartime Race to Save the Treasures of the Forbidden City
By Adam Brookes | Publisher: Random House
About the book
'The kind of history deserving of a cinematic blockbuster' Julia Lovell, Literary Review
'[A] gripping and meticulously researched account of an epic effort to transport delicate scrolls, paintings and carvings thousands of miles under the threat of bombing and invasion' Rana Mitter, Times Literary Supplement
'Brilliant and thrilling... A tale of daring and adventure... A desperate race against time' Paul French, South China Morning Post
_____
The gripping true story of the intrepid curators who saved China's finest art from the ravages of the Sino-Japanese War and World War II.
Spring 1933. The silent courtyards and palaces of Peking's Forbidden City are tense with fear and expectation. Japan's aircraft drone overhead; its troops and tanks are only hours away. All-out war between China and Japan is coming, and the curators of the Forbidden City are faced with an impossible question: how will they protect the vast imperial art collections in their charge?
The magnificent collections contain a million pieces of art - objects that carry China's deepest and most ancient memories. Among them are irreplaceable artefacts: exquisite paintings on silk, vanishingly rare Ming porcelain and the extraordinary Stone Drums of Qin, which are adorned with 2,500-year-old inscriptions of crucial cultural significance.
For sixteen terrifying years, under the quiet leadership of museum director Ma Heng, the curators would go on to transport the imperial art collections thousands of miles across China - up rivers of white water, across mountain ranges and through burning cities. In their search for safety the curators and their fragile, invaluable cargo journeyed through the maelstrom of violence, chaos and starvation that was China's Second World War.
Told for the first time in English and playing out across a vast historical canvas, this is the exhilarating story of a small group of men and women who, when faced with war's onslaught on civilisation, chose to resist.
'Fascinating... Brookes marries a reporter's grasp of detail with a novelist's narrative flair to bring clarity and readability to a complicated period of China's troubled history' Mail on Sunday
Editions of Fragile Cargo
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781784743796
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781784743802
- EBook
- ISBN 9781473579071
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9781529197631
Read an Excerpt
'The kind of history deserving of a cinematic blockbuster' Julia Lovell, Literary Review
'[A] gripping and meticulously researched account of an epic effort to transport delicate scrolls, paintings and carvings thousands of miles under the threat of bombing and invasion' Rana Mitter, Times Literary Supplement
'Brilliant and thrilling... A tale of daring and adventure... A desperate race against time' Paul French, South China Morning Post
_____
The gripping true story of the intrepid curators who saved China's finest art from the ravages of the Sino-Japanese War and World War II.
Spring 1933. The silent courtyards and palaces of Peking's Forbidden City are tense with fear and expectation. Japan's aircraft drone overhead; its troops and tanks are only hours away. All-out war between China and Japan is coming, and the curators of the Forbidden City are faced with an impossible question: how will they protect the vast imperial art collections in their charge?
The magnificent collections contain a million pieces of art - objects that carry China's deepest and most ancient memories. Among them are irreplaceable artefacts: exquisite paintings on silk, vanishingly rare Ming porcelain and the extraordinary Stone Drums of Qin, which are adorned with 2,500-year-old inscriptions of crucial cultural significance.
For sixteen terrifying years, under the quiet leadership of museum director Ma Heng, the curators would go on to transport the imperial art collections thousands of miles across China - up rivers of white water, across mountain ranges and through burning cities. In their search for safety the curators and their fragile, invaluable cargo journeyed through the maelstrom of violence, chaos and starvation that was China's Second World War.
Told for the first time in English and playing out across a vast historical canvas, this is the exhilarating story of a small group of men and women who, when faced with war's onslaught on civilisation, chose to resist.
'Fascinating... Brookes marries a reporter's grasp of detail with a novelist's narrative flair to bring clarity and readability to a complicated period of China's troubled history' Mail on Sunday
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fragile Cargo about?
'The kind of history deserving of a cinematic blockbuster' Julia Lovell, Literary Review
'[A] gripping and meticulously researched account of an epic effort to transport delicate scrolls, paintings and carvings thousands of miles under the threat of bombing and invasion' Rana Mitter, Times Literary Supplement
'Brilliant and thrilling... A tale of daring and adventure... A desperate race against time' Paul French, South China Morning Post
_____
The gripping true story of the intrepid curators who saved China's finest art from the ravages of the Sino-Japanese War and World War II.
Spring 1933. The silent courtyards and palaces of Peking's Forbidden City are tense with fear and expectation. Japan's aircraft drone overhead; its troops and tanks are only hours away. All-out war between China and Japan is coming, and the curators of the Forbidden City are faced with an impossible question: how will they protect the vast imperial art collections in their charge?
The magnificent collections contain a million pieces of art - objects that carry China's deepest and most ancient memories. Among them are irreplaceable artefacts: exquisite paintings on silk, vanishingly rare Ming porcelain and the extraordinary Stone Drums of Qin, which are adorned with 2,500-year-old inscriptions of crucial cultural significance.
For sixteen terrifying years, under the quiet leadership of museum director Ma Heng, the curators would go on to transport the imperial art collections thousands of miles across China - up rivers of white water, across mountain ranges and through burning cities. In their search for safety the curators and their fragile, invaluable cargo journeyed through the maelstrom of violence, chaos and starvation that was China's Second World War.
Told for the first time in English and playing out across a vast historical canvas, this is the exhilarating story of a small group of men and women who, when faced with war's onslaught on civilisation, chose to resist.
'Fascinating... Brookes marries a reporter's grasp of detail with a novelist's narrative flair to bring clarity and readability to a complicated period of China's troubled history' Mail on Sunday
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Fragile Cargo?
History and Archaeology > History > Asian history
Where can I read a sample of Fragile Cargo?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781784743796
How long is Fragile Cargo and how many pages does it have?
Fragile Cargo has 384 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Fragile Cargo?
Adam Brookes
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Fragile Cargo is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781784743796) and paperback(ISBN 9781784743802) and ebook(ISBN 9781473579071) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781529197631)
Where can I buy Fragile Cargo online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Fragile Cargo from below
Where can I buy Fragile Cargo?