Hsüü what a book!

Stephen Becker was only 20 when he landed in Peking 1947 as an instructor at Yenching University, but 20 meant a lot more back then. At 20 Mr. Becker had already served as a Marine in WW2 and graduated from Harvard. Although The Far East Trilogy, of which "The Chinese Bandit" is the opening, was not published till much later, it is clear that the notes and ideas came from his experiences in the rough and tumble period immediately before the communist takeover of China in 1949. 1947 was a fantastic year in China and, while from easily accessible online biographies it is not apparent that Mr. Becker traveled to Western China, the detail and color in these books suggests that he surely did.

Jake Dodds is a sergeant in the US Marines, a smart and observant man who ascribes to the military truism that sergeants are best. He also, in the tradition of sergeants in fiction, is an opportunist, and he is in business with a Chinese fellow called Kao buying and selling items of great usefulness in a modernizing country – wire, nails, toolsets and other practical items – without worrying very much about their provenance. Kao is a bit more than he seems, though, and when Jake deserts the Marines after a colorful brothel fight lands a general on a sewage barge, Kao arranges for Jack to join a camel caravan heading west to new adventures.

This is the kind of adventure I have always adored and I can't tell you how thrilling it is to rediscover this series. Jake is the kind of man Mr. Becker admired. Masculine, sexual, honorable, practical. Ironically aware of his surroundings and the peculiar world we human beings make. Jake is definitely not a man who would be written today and this book, evoking as it does the authentic sights and smells of a world lost a century ago, could not be written today.

It occurred to me as I was reading that our younger readers nurtured on sanitary sex, good plumbing, and daily showers, will be left gasping by these books. That is no reason not to urge them to read them. Perhaps one in 10,000 will find Mr. Becker's books irresistible and some interesting changes in world perspective will emerge. The heavens know we need more leaders with worldly perspectives and more writers like Mr. Becker.

I received a review copy of "The Chinese Bandit" by Stephen Becker (Open Road Integrated Media) through NetGalley.com. ( )

in poor taste.
Noted during my 1980's attempt to read every book in my small town library. ( )