Customer Reviews

Policing Shanghai, 1927-1937 (Philip E.Lilienthal Books)

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Shanghai in the 1920's and 30's must have been the single most difficult city in the world to govern. Shanghai's reputation as a center of vice and corruption was legendary in its own day. At the beginning of the Twenty First Century, the Shangai of this period still holds its own romantic appeal.

Frederic Wakeman's book is a study of the Nationalist Government's attempt to bring order and discipline to a city through a program of national renewal. Their goal was to one day recapture the city's full sovereignty by showing the West that the Government could effectively govern Shanghai. This book is the story of how this worthy goal was subverted to the political and monetary needs of the Nationalist Government.

Although written for an academic audience, Wakeman's story of the Green Gang, secret Comminturn Agents, turncoat Communist Assasins and corrupt police officials has an appeal that goes far beyond the merely academic. I loved this book because I enjoyed reading about the intricate details of some of the greatest crimes and criminals of this truly golden age of crime.

Unlike many other books bearing similar titles, this book certainly offers you deep insights about policing in Shanghai in the 1930s. The Author has done extensive and most importantly, accurate research in those era. For those unfamiliar with China before Communism, it offers a taste of the value in Chinese Society, which unfortunately, was fundamentally changed since the introduction of communism in the 1940s. A great book to read, and to be treated seriously.