HIGH ROAD TO CHINA

by Jon Cleary ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 20, 1977

Full-throttle ahead into the early years of aviation, piloted by an old pro of the genre. Eve Tozer, daughter of an American millionaire with interests in China, arrives in London in 1920 only to be told that her father has been kidnapped by a Chinese warlord. She has eighteen days to appear with his ransom--a priceless jade statue--and even a fast boat to China won't get her there in time. But Eve happens to know how to fly, so she buys three Bristol fighters, hires two WW I pilots (a jaunty Englishman and a suave Prussian), and off they go into the wild blue yonder. Stopping to refuel, they encounter: a mad Balkan countess who stabs her lover the night they're at her castle; Kemal Ataturk, the Turkish nationalist, who persuades them to dog-fight a few Greek aircraft for him; a blueeyed ex-jockey who leads a bloodthirsty horde of Pathan tribesmen in Afghanistan; and a decadent Indian rajah who makes his guests roller-skate in a royal tournament. The plot may strain credulity, but the book provides the hearty satisfactions of vivid writing, a roguish code of honor, and action faster than a soaring Sopwith Camel.

Pub Date: May 20, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1977

Categories: FICTION