It was published in 1969 by Walker/Weatherhill with a cover price of $4.50.
I checked our Hawaii State Library web site and found the book, put in a request and shortly a post card arrived in my mail box announcing it was available for pick-up at my branch library. Quite a smooth service huh?
It's a short read, only 149 pages, but it immediately places you right back on Chungshan North Road and brings back memories long forgotten.
It was a great read and I believe you'll enjoy your visit to the Dragon Hotel if you can find a copy.
I've included a couple of pages to wet your appetite.
May 2011:
I have recently discovered that there was a real hotel in Taipei called the Dragon Hotel. The hotel was supposedly located at 40 Chang Chun Road in Taipei. I have looked around Chang Chun Road on Google Earth Street View and it appears that the building at # 40 is not the old hotel. I will have to visit the area in person and ask around to see what the story is. To be Continued!
Click or double click on each page for an easy to read view.
3 comments:
There are several used copies on Amazon.com, with prices starting around $5 plus shipping. I also saw two on eBay, but they were signed by the author and they were each about $25.
Where was the Dragon? When I arrived in Taipei, I spent a couple of weeks in a small hotel just around the corner from the compound and either next to or very near the Linkou Club Annex, but I don't remember the name of the place. I was there about five minutes before there was a knock on the door and a young lady tried to talk me into sharing an apartment.
I ordered a copy "The Dragon Hotel" from Amazon.com. The cost was around $12 including shipping. I received it yesterday and read it cover to cover, couldn't put it down. A great read, it will bring back lots of memories for those of us who were in Taipei in "the day".
Sounds like the author must have been in Taipei during the mid 60's. On numerous occasions he talks about riding in pedicabs. When I arrived in May of 1967 there were few pedicabs left and were almost completely gone when I departed in July of 1968.
Former TAS student who was in country 1972-78. Still have my bootleg copy of this book (same cover)bought at either Caves or Linkou bookstore2 around 72 or 73. Also recommend "China Gate" by William Arnold (Ballantine Books 1984). He is a former TAS student from way back who intertwines a lot of old Taipei in this fictional account of an American dependant gang that get's mixed up with the triads in the 1060's.
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