Books published by Blacksmith Books

As a youth in Saigon's Chinatown of the 1960s and 70s, Paul Au was greatly affected by American 'hippie' culture and Rock & Roll. He was smuggled into Hong Kong in 1974 to escape the South Vietnamese military draft. At first living in rooftop squats, he started to trade used vinyl records on the streets of Kowloon, and finally established an underground reputation for his eclectic blend and unending supply of recorded music.

"Ayo Gorkhali!" - "The Gurkhas are upon you!" - is the battle cry of one of the world's most famous fighting forces. Yet the Gurkha story is not only about bravery in combat. It is also a story of tragedy.In WWI, 200,000 Gurkhas out of Nepal's five million people participated in the British cause. A further 250,000 Gurkhas fought in WWII. This book tells the Gurkhas' story from the beginning to the present day.

Jack Leblanc arrived in China intending to teach. He was to spend the next two decades on a very different learning curve as he became involved in business ventures in almost every part of the Middle Kingdom.From farmyard to factory, boardroom to banquet, Leblanc witnessed the transformation of China from a socialist economy into the world's greatest experiment in capitalism. It dawned upon him that the key to success is to manage the differences in Chinese and Western business behavior.

Based on true stories and new research, Paul French weaves together the stories of those Jewish refugees who moved on from wartime Shanghai to seek a possible route to freedom via the Portuguese colony of Macao - "the Casablanca of the Orient". The delicately balanced neutral enclave became their wartime home, amid Nazi and Japanese spies, escaped Allied prisoners from Hong Kong, and displaced Chinese. Strangers on the Praia relates the story of one young woman's struggle for freedom that would ultimately prove an act of brave resistance.

"Life is an investment exercise and you are your own best investment adviser."Jake van der Kamp has worked as an Asian investment analyst and as a financial columnist. In this book he offers a "how to" manual on investment. He argues that you are already your own best adviser on when and what investments to make - and you should rely on professionals only for advice on how and where to do so.

French artist Zabovisited Hong Kong in the 1960s, and condensed his year-long stay intoa book of cartoons which has come to be known as an emblem of theera. Life in Hong Kong's streets and trades is humorously illustratedwith a touch of satire, covering popular habits, social etiquette, traditions and the customs of local people and foreign residents.Even half a century later, Zabo's portrayal of Hong Kong stillrings true.

On July 1, 1997, the red flag of China was hoisted over Hong Kong - and the untried idea of "one country, two systems" was put into practice. Farewell, My Colony is a real-time journal of the end of an era. American journalist Todd Crowell captures a unique moment in history as Britain soldiers through the last months of its colonial rule, China waits restlessly to resume its sovereignty, and Hong Kong buzzes with speculation.

The Peak is Hong Kong's top residential district, where property prices are as high as the altitude. How did it become an exclusive enclave in the business center of 19th-century Asia? The British wanted relief from summer heat and the Peak was the obvious place to escape it. The Governor adopted Mountain Lodge as a summer getaway, and the Peak Tram made access easier. This book describes the popular tourist area then and now.

In this joyful travel sketchbook, Hong Kong is captured through the hearts of a writer and an artist. From the winding, incense-filled streets of Sheung Wan to the pandemonium of a wet market in North Point to the sleepy island backwater of Tai O, Lena Sin and Nicholas Tay take you on a wonder-filled journey that shines a light on the softer, more romantic side of this chaotic city. Filled with tales of growing up in Hong Kong, Lena weaves personal anecdotes and conversations with locals with richly-illustrated watercolours and photographs by herself and artist husband Nicholas. The result is an intimate portrait of a city that is at once vibrant and energetic as well as charming and nostalgic.

Reminiscences and recipes of favorite international dishes from households, restaurants and back lanes which you can enjoy today in Hong Kong, that classy old gal who will forever reign as the Queen of Cuisine for all who knew her when she was the jewel of the British Empire. Fred Schneiter shares a nostalgic romp back into that less hurried era - and the tantalizing cuisines and tempting cookpot scents of that cozy time await you here.

Robert Wang fled the Chinese civil war as a child and came to Hong Kong with nothing. It was a harsh place in the 1950s but he was determined to rise to the top. With the 1997 handover to China approaching, and no one knowing what the end of British rule would bring, Robert hatched an audacious scheme to safeguard the fortunes of Hong Kong's richest tycoons -- but swimming with sharks has its dangers.

Learn Chinese the natural way - from a Norwegian! Join Cantonese fundamentalist Cecilie Gamst Berg as she journeys through the non-stop surrealism that is today's China. Traveling by camel, sleeper bus and train across the deserts of Xinjiang, through the backwoods of Tibet, over the mountains of Sichuan to the outlying islands of Hong Kong, Cecilie shows how China is not only the fastest-changing place on earth, but also the most fun.

Why does the issue of Tibet rouse such passions on both sides? To find out, Annelie Rozeboom interviewed Tibetans inside and outside Tibet, as well as Chinese and Western observers and the Dalai Lama himself. As these people explain their experiences, the reader sees why they think the way they do, and why the Tibetans and Chinese have taken such opposing positions. A collection of very different viewpoints which look at Tibet from all angles.

What kind of people would you meet if you decided to walk across the world's most populous country? The Great Walk of China is a journey into China's heartland, away from its surging coastal cities. Through surprisingly frank conversations with the people he meets along the way, the Chinese-speaking author paints a portrait of a nation struggling to come to terms with its newfound identity and its place in the world.

Even four decades after the passing of Asian martial-arts superstar Bruce Lee, his achievements still attract adoration from millions of movie fans. The biggest fan of all may be Jon Benn, who befriended the high-kicking hero while playing "the Big Boss," a villain in Lee's 1972 movie, The Way of the Dragon. In this tell-tale autobiography, Jon reminisces fondly about his experiences with Lee and a lifetime of other adventures. Much has happened to Jon for the sake of appearing in movies.

Hong Kong is famous for its vibrant, busy street scene. This book introduces us to two dozen real people who provide its outdoor color. Here you'll meet a flower seller, a street musician, and a tram driver; a bouncer, a shoe shiner, and a gas canister delivery man; a tailor's tout and a lifeguard; one man who makes a living climbing bamboo scaffolding, and a woman who ferries visitors around the harbor on a sampan. Portrait photography by Michael Perini illustrates each engaging life story.

In 2010, bookish 22-year-old Shannon Young follows her Eurasian boyfriend to Hong Kong, eager to forge a new love story in his hometown. But when work sends him to London a month later, Shannon embarks on a wide-eyed newcomer''s journey through Hong Kong -- alone. She teaches in a local school as the only foreigner, explores Asia with other young expats and discovers family history in Hong Kong, all while trying to hold on to her thwarted romance. The city enchants her, forcing her to question her plans. Soon, she must make a choice between her new life and the love that first brought her to Asia.