It is November 12, 1941, and the world is at war. In Shanghai, just weeks before Pearl Harbor, thousands celebrate the birthday of Chinas founding father, Sun Yat-sen, in a new city center built to challenge European imperialism. Across town, crowds of Shanghai residents from all walks of life attend the funeral of Chinas wealthiest woman, the Chinese-French widow of a Baghdadi Jewish businessman whose death was symbolic of the passing of a generation that had seen Shanghais rise to global prominence. But it is the racetrack that attracts the largest crowd of all. At the center of the International Settlement, the heart of Western colonizationbut also of Chinese progressivism, art, commerce, cosmopolitanism, and celebrityChampions Day unfolds, drawing tens of thousands of Chinese spectators and Europeans alike to bet on the horses. Written by James Carter. Hardcover; 352 pages.

#21107431