“A fabulous epic of the Far East that will disturb and excite you . . . a thrilling and enticing tale of adventure and human relationships . . . dramatic episodes, exotic vignettes and heady descriptive passages.”—Baltimore SunIt is the early 19th century, when European traders and adventurers first began to penetrate the forbidding Chinese mainland. And it is in this exciting time and exotic … this exciting time and exotic place that a giant of an Englishman, Dirk Straun, sets out to turn the desolate island of Hong Kong into an impregnable fortress of British power, and to make himself supreme ruler…Tai-Pan!
Praise for Tai-Pan
“Unforgettable.”—Chicago Tribune
“[James] Clavell is, as always, a matchless tale-spinner.”—Cosmopolitan
“Every five or six years there appears on the horizon a book so vast in scope, so peopled with bold, colorful characters, it eclipses other efforts. . . . Such a book is Tai-Pan.”—Pittsburgh Press
“Grand entertainment…packed with action…gaudy and flanboyant with blood and sin, treachery and conspiracy, sex and murder…fresh and vigorous.” —The New York Times
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Captured my attention.
Clavell will keep you entertained from the first page to the last. What a wonderful writer.
I’ve loved all of James Clavell’s books. Got hooked with Shogun and read them all.
amazing story
Read Shogun & Tai-pan many years ago and they still remain in my top 5 books.
It is about the edge-of-the seat operation of a business in Hong Kong, and a love story. Story a little heavy on business gambling, but still very good.
I have a new favorite author. After some twenty years, James Clavell has displaced Margaret Mitchell atop my personal pantheon of authors. Last fall I fell in love with Shogun; my concerns as to whether Tai-Pan could live up to such lofty expectations were unfounded.
The Tai Pan is Dirk Straun, a Scottish trader who has risen to become the most …
This is my second time to read the book and in a few years will probably re-read it. We lived 2 years in Asia and Clavell writes in true fashion. I so enjoy his books and have read all he has written—as best I know.
Fabulous characters, fabulous dialogue, wonderful historical novel about the birth of Hong Kong.
Now that Hong Kong is back to China, this is a great look back at how it all began. If you are fan of History, Pirates, Treasure, and the mystery of the Orient this is the book for you. Names are difficult at first but once in they begin to make more sense. I say take notes from first chapter them read on to the end. It is just a prelude to Noble …
One of the best I’ve ever read.
I enjoyed the entire series. Of course I read it decades ago so who knows if I’d still feel the same way
Clavell is the best. All of his books.
loved it
Excellent book, historical fiction.
Great historical fiction.
The different accents spoken by the characters was spot on. Amazing ear for dialogue.
This sweeping saga held my attention from beginning to end. The author creates characters we care about. A wonderful read.
Great writing. Memorable characters.
Not as great as Shogun, but still a page-turner