One Thousand Days in Hong Kong

In the 1960s, Hong Kong was probably the most dynamic city in the world. Adjacent to Communist China, the most populous nation on Earth, the city bustled with life. What was it like to cross the Fragrant Harbour daily to attend a British Army School eight thousand miles from the United Kingdom? This is a teenage schoolboy's recollection of the most exciting days of his life. Whether you have been to Hong Kong or not, it is an exhilarating read. Back cover blurb Faced with a straight choice between a boarding school in England or three years at a British Army School in Hong Kong, Mark Harland chose the latter. In 1966 Hong Kong was exhilarating, dynamic and evolving into the richest jewel in the British Empire. Across the border, Communist China, the most populous country on earth, was in turmoil with Mao Tse-Tung's Red Guards running amok and maintaining their version of law and order in the most brutal fashion. How did it affect the Crown Colony, a mere pin-prick on the map of the Middle Kingdom? The author traces his arrival by cargo ship on a steaming hot August night and recounts his memories. Using three consecutive years of progress at St. Georges School in Kowloon as a template for this book, Mark Harland interlinks the everyday events of colonial life into a melange of history, geography and politics. Whether you have lived in Hong Kong or not, the account of those 'One Thousand Days' will leave you feeling that you, too, crossed the 'Fragrant Harbour' twice a day to attend a school administered by the British Army six thousand miles away from either Agincourt or Aldershot.

About the Author :
Born in Malta GC on 16th July 1953, Mark is the son of an Admiralty Radio Officer. Following the merger of his father's job into what is now known as GCHQ, he considers himself lucky to have lead a very international life-style. Although moving schools, and indeed countries, every few years was disruptive he has no doubts the experiences that ensued equipped him well for later life, in particular his role today as a writer. After a seven year stint with a High Street bank in Yorkshire the tedium finally got to him and he used his experience to work offshore in the Middle and Far East. He took up writing as a hobby in 2000 and the political satirical novel 'Your Country Needs You' was his debut novel. Described by many today as 'ten years ahead of its time' it foresaw political corruption at its worst in the UK and the replacement of elected MPs by ordinary people selected at random like premium bond winners. How novel is that? Eventually persuaded to write about his life and experiences abroad, Mark has followed up satire with memoires of Malta, Hong Kong and latterly Australia. He has a deep affection for Australia which runs in the family and his first book of short stories – Sunburnt Pom's Tales of Oz – is available in print and eBook. What lies ahead? Who knows but Mark's imagination knows no bounds and his ultimate literary ambition is to write and publish a James Bond novel. Watch this space.