The Peking Express by James M. Zimmerman tells in wonderful detail the story of bandits capturing a train and holding hostage many foreigners some for up to 37 days before negotiations result in their release.
The captives read like characters from an Agatha Christie novel but this is a true story.
There are really two central stories in the incident. The first is about those hostages, who walked for miles, one with jewels hidden in her shoe, another who stood up to the bandits, and the things they ate on the way.
The second story is about the bandits themselves and the conditions that drove them to the actions.
Straddling the line between a history book, and an adventure novel, this is an ideal book for those who might not read history as their primary genre, or for historians who want a break from the dry tomes that are usually written.
Brilliantly written, with new and original research, The Peking Express tells the incredible true story of a clash that shocked the world— becoming so celebrated it inspired several Hollywood movies.
