Trail of the Red Diamonds (Stories from the Golden Age) [Kindle Edition]

L. Ron Hubbard (Author)

Book Description

A pulse-pounding adventure that would put Indiana Jones on edge. Most copies of The Travels of Marco Polo leave out a great deal and are difficult to decipher. Yet when one original manuscript lands in the hands of Lieutenant Jonathan Daly, he's able to translate the tale well enough to discover the trail to a chest of fabulous red stones buried with the long-dead Emperor of China, Kubla Kahn. An offering to the gods to light the leader's way to heaven, the glittering stones are worth several million dollars, as they are diamonds.

Recently recovered from a bout of malaria and two bullet holes collected in war-ravaged Gran Chaco, Lieutenant Daly sets out on his treasure travels, ignoring warnings from friends and doctors. He follows Marco Polo's words straight into a dark maze of betrayal, espionage and death—with more riding on each precious line of text than he ever imagined.  ALSO INCLUDES THE ADVENTURE STORY "HURRICANE'S WAR"

"... a very strong Indiana Jones feel to it, even though it predates Indy by nearly five decades....an exciting story that keeps readers glued to the page: Hubbard at his best." —Booklist

* An International Book Awards Winner

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hubbard fans will welcome this golden age reprint volume, whose rollicking title tale first appeared in Thrilling Adventures magazine in 1935. While recovering from wounds received in South America's Gran Chaco War, Lt. John Daly learns of "the red diamonds of Kublai Khan" from reading "an original manuscript" of Marco Polo's Travels. Determined to find the diamonds, Daly embarks on a journey with best friend Jim Lange that will lead them from Peking, China, to the remote burial temple of Kublai Khan and straight into heart-thumping danger. The book's second tale, "Hurricane's Roar," about a devilishly clever Mongolian warrior named Wind-Gone-Mad, is less fun but still full of colorful pulp action.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Hubbard fans will welcome this golden age reprint volume, whose rollicking title tale first appeared in Thrilling Adventures magazine in 1935. While recovering from wounds received in South America's Gran Chaco War, Lt. John Daly learns of "the red diamonds of Kublai Khan" from reading "an original manuscript" of Marco Polo's "Travels." Determined to find the diamonds, Daly embarks on a journey with best friend Jim Lange that will lead them from Peking, China, to the remote burial temple of Kublai Khan and straight into heart-thumping danger. The book's second tale, "Hurricane's Roar," about a devilishly clever Mongolian warrior named Wind-Gone-Mad, is less fun but still full of colorful pulp action. --Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 768 KB
• Print Length: 124 pages
• Publisher: Galaxy Press; 1 edition (September 15, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004D4YIMK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,464 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars the hunt for red gems March 19, 2012

By nelson m.

Format:Paperback

"The Trail to the Red Diamonds" was first published in "Thrilling Adventure" in January, 1935 under the pseudonym of Lt. Jonathan Daly, the main character in this adventure story. Using a pseudonym is not unique since L. Ron Hubbard employed fifteen different pen names in addition to his own name in his many pulp titles. This fictional tale begins during Lt. Daly's recuperation from bullet wounds in a Gran Chaco hospital, He discovers an original manuscript of Marco Polo's travels: "I had come across an original manuscript of Marco Polo's. The man that lent it to me did not know its value," states Lt. Daly. Halfway through the manuscript, he reads a paragraph about a chest of red stones which glittered "like the sun through red-stained quartz." At first, he believes they are rubies but then he understands they could only be diamonds- rare red diamonds.

As Daly reads Marco Polo's words, he realizes the chest of red diamonds had been buried with Kublai Khan, the Emperor of China to lighten his way to heaven and to serve as offerings to the gods. Intrigued and seduced by greed, Daly wastes no time and sets off to find the buried treasure ignoring warnings from his doctors and friends. Little known to him, he has challengers- the Chinese army and disloyal renegades that complicate his journey for riches in this dark tale of betrayal, espionage, double crosses and death.

Also included in this volume is "Hurricane's Roar," a tale about a sinister and clever Mongolian warrior- Wind-Gone-Mad.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Action February 29, 2012

By Mike

Format:Paperback

This is a very fun read taking place in asia. You have Lieutenant Daly setting out on an adventure to hunt for treasure worth several million dollars (diamonds) I listend to the audio which I thought was fabulous, with a full multicast and sound effects, very professionally done.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars OK for jr high boys. August 11, 2012

By Barthbill

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A decent example of pulp fiction, cranked out and paid for by the word. However, if you've read one of these, the other ones will follow a predictable pattern.

I doubt that this would get any notice at all if L Ron were not the Scientologist head guy. Amazon prices them about right.

More About the Author

With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 280 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard is among the most acclaimed and widely read authors of our time. As a leading light of American Pulp Fiction through the 1930s and '40s, he is further among the most influential authors of the modern age. Indeed, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, there is scarcely a master of imaginative tales who has not paid tribute to L. Ron Hubbard.