- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Headline Feature; First Edition edition (26 July 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0747222754
- ISBN-13: 978-0747222750
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,039,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Red Spirit (1)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Early 1989: in the USSR communism is about to collapse. In China civil war is brewing. And an American archaeologist is about to discover an extraordinary secret. Dr Sally Parsons' ambition to excavate the tomb of the ruthless first emperor of China is dashed when she is mysteriously fired from the project. Then Sally agrees to deliver a computer disk to a contact in China - in return for access to the tomb. But the explosive secret the disk reveals is a prize worth killing for. If she survives, Sally's dream of an unprecedented archaeological coup might be within her grasp - but it could turn into a nightmare for millions.
From the Author
Red Spirit is a fictional story set against a late 20th Century backdrop. Few figures of modern history are as fascinating as Mao Zedong. Therefore, I have used situations which did happen with some real-life characters, such as Deng Xiao-ping and Zhao Ziyang as part of the novel. At the time of writing, the legendary tomb of Qin Shi Huang near Xian had never been excavated despite many attempts by archeaologists to get permission. A wax replica was made of Mao Zedong’s body after his death in 1976 because of fears that preservation with formaldehyde would not work. The CIA is widely believed to have assisted in the growing and transporting of opium in Indochina during the Vietnam war. Soviet President Mikhael Gorbachev did visit China in May 1989 and Chinese troops did kill demonstrators to end the Tiananmen Square protests in June 1989, while in Xian and other cities protests were ended without bloodshed.
Some of the institutions such as the National Cultural Relics Bureau in Beijing does exist. But Sally’s Archaeological Institute of America and Richard’s Federal Containment Agency are fictitious, although most governments do have secret units responsible for deniable operations.
I drew on much published material, but three books, in particular, should be mentioned. The Private Life of Chairman Mao by Zhisui Li, which described scenes surrounding Mao Zedong’s death and the embalming of his body; The Tiananmen Papers compiled by Zhang Liang which recounted conversations within the Chinese government before the 1989 Tiananman Square killings; and The Dragon Syndicates by Martin Booth which portrayed the global threat of the Chinese Triad organisations.
My thanks to William Fu, Farooq El Baz, Liz Jensen, Nancy Langston, Cait Murphy, James Miles and Justin Morris for their invaluable help along their way. A special thanks to Mary Sandys for her work on the text and to Jonathon Mirsky, for the loan of books, documents and glimpses of character.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover
After a slow start Hawksley draws you into this thriller about events that credibly might have occurred in China at the time of the Tianamen Square crackdown on dissent in 1989.
Struggling as a single parent after leaving her mysterious and sinister half-Chinese husband Cage, archaeologist Sally Parsons is determined to excavate the tomb of the ruthless first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. But gradually we see that Sally is being used as a pawn in a conspiracy involving the destabilisation of the USA through the heroin trade. Her ally, both as surrogate father for her child and professional facilitator, is the clean-cut US diplomat Richard Gregg, while Wu Tian, embittered by his wife and daughter, plans the resurgence of a powerful China united by a supreme leader in the tradition of Qin Shi Huang and Mao Zedong.
But what distinguishes RED SPIRIT from most thrillers are the powerfully drawn characters and the intrigue and deceit at a personal level. Without revealing the story, suffice it to say that the personal betrayals and revelations grip you even more than the twists and turns in the plot. Hawksley skilfully weaves these two strands together, while employing his knowledge of China and its people, to produce an unputdownable story than builds to a breathtaking climax. A perfect read for the Christmas holidays.
I haven't read any of Mr Hawksely's other novels. I intend to do so now.
Format:Hardcover
Hawksley's storytelling skill has hit a new mark. He has found his voice right along with the expertise for which he is so widely known. RED SPIRIT has pacing, timeliness, and character. Sally Parsons is the modern incarnation of adventurous women like Gertrude Bell. Cage has the potential for being a new sort of hero with a global face. Would make a great movie. Let's hope. There are enough puerile films around. A grown up international thriller/love story is much to be desired. Looking forward to the next Hawksley with relish.
Format:Hardcover
This is Humphrey Hawksley's best book so far, bringing together some excellent drawing of characters, his in-depth feel for China where he has lived and worked for the BBC, and some racy action. The main location is the ancient Chinese city of Xian, famous for its Terracotta Warriors, and the supposedly unexplored tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (who unified China). There is a fringe manic movement that worships Chairman Mao and wants to use his memory to halt the opening up of China - just as the 1989 Tiananmen Square crisis is about to break. And there is an equally manic and chilling plot by part of the US government that wants to harness the work of the main character (an American woman archaeologist who isn't sure which of two men in the plot to love) to swing international super power allegiances. Mr Hawksley weaves all this into a book that reveals some of the bleakness, complexity and hopelessness of the Chinese people. It's a compelling read.
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