Customer Reviews

Falcon of Siam

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read this novel in 1989 while I was living in Bangkok for a short while. This novel is written the way a novel should be - exciting from page 1 to the end.

The delicate balance of a forang (foreigner) in Thailand, is between what is and what should be, and what one hopes for and what must be. Traditions are as rich as the Imperial Monarchy... and the people, then and now, are genuine in any circumstance they may find themselves.

Axel Aylwen weaves the essences of all that is Thailand with the true story of Constantine Phaulkon, a traveler, an adventurer, a witting businessman, and calculating rogue. Phaulkon arrives in Thailand via the East India Trading Company, and rises to unthinkable heights in the Kingdom of Siam, under the rule of King Narai. This elaborate story is engaging from start to finish, and in the end, it leaves you wishing there were many more pages to read.

It is a novel that, in part, inspired me to become a writer.

I picked this book up at the Peninsula Hotel Bangkok on my most recent trip to Bangkok. Not since the latest Harry Potter book have I been so engrossed in a book. I could not put it down. The story is set in the late 1600s in the Kingdom of Siam. It is the story of an English (born Greek) trade merchant rising to power in the Kingdom of Siam. He loves his adopted country and does whatever it takes to rise through its ranks to increasing positions of power. The book provides a wonderful view into the country (Thailand today), its culture and world around it in that day. It is at the same time a love story, an adventure, a view into a culture, a view into politics and statesmanship and just a very entertaining story. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Thailand, its people and its culture. You will find this book to be a very rewarding read.

I would like to review this item, but as it has still not arrived, even though it was purchased on the 19th September, I am unable to.

I first read this book while living in Bangkok in the early 1990's. It is one of those books that you just can't put down. The story is engrossing with all the elements of an unforgettable novel - adventure, politics, conflict, culture and beyond. Throughout the book the human psyche is examined, expanded, and twisted through one challenge after another. It is to Thailand what "Shogun" is to Japan. Highly recommended reading, especially for anyone planning a visit to Thailand.