<P style="BORDER-TOP-COLOR: ; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: ; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: ; BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: "><B>Full of intrigue and swashbuckling adventure, the story of an Australian journalist who was at the heart of the most turbulent period in Chinese history</B></P><P style="BORDER-TOP-COLOR: ; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: ; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: ; BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: ">Set against the turbulent background of China in the first half of the 20th Century, this reads like a romantic novel; but it's a true story. The reporter is the intrepid Australian journalist, Will Donald, who arrived in Hong Kong in 1903 and by 1908 was managing editor of the <I>China Mail</I>. As a freelance journalist based in Shanghai, Donald then became advisor to a number of influential public figures, including Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek, entangling himself in their power struggles. He participated in the armed struggle to overthrow the last emperor of China and then wrote proclamations for Sun Yat-Sen, who ultimately became Provisional President of the Republic of China. Will Donald's most intriguing alliance was with the swashbuckling Manchurian warlord and morphine-addicted womanizer, Zhang Xueliang. The lives of these two extraordinary men became entwined over the decades and provide a compelling narrative. The role of both Australian and American advisors in these events has a particularly modern resonance.