ADVANCE PRAISE FOR CHAMPIONS DAY

“A unique view of an extraordinary city at an electrifying moment in time. Thoroughly researched and colorfully rendered, Champions Day shows off Old Shanghai in all its irresistible glory and eccentricity”
— Claire Chao, author of Remembering Shanghai
“A gripping tale that uses the events of just one day to illuminate a much bigger story - the inevitable clash between a growing Chinese sense of nationhood and the crumbling edifice of western colonial power in China. To understand the origins of some of the tensions and clashes between China and the west in the present day, this account is essential - as well as giving us a highly unusual, deeply insightful view of Asia in the fateful moments before Pearl Harbor.”
— Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China, University of Oxford author of Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-45
“More captivating than a day at the races, James Carter offers a sweeping ride through Shanghai’s tumultuous history, its quasi-colonial social scene and, of course, the iconic Race Club. Every visitor to the city should read this book to know whose footsteps came before in People’s Square.”
— Helen Zia, author of Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution
“Could it really be possible to encapsulate the nuanced story of old Shanghai in one day? James Carter proves it can and—through the lens of Champions Day, 1941, at the Shanghai Race Club—reveals the myriad histories of this controversial and problematic century-long urban experiment in east-west fusion”
— Paul French, New York Times best-selling author of Midnight in Peking and City of Devils
“The work of a seasoned China specialist in top form, delivering engrossing stories, engaging arguments, and enticing details—a cultural history trifecta”
— Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellor’s Professor History, UC-Irvine and author of Global Shanghai and Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink