Tales of the China Marines

About the Book

Tales of the China Marines, a book of historical fiction, covers the period in China during the years before World War II. It was a fascinating time not only for civilians but also for the servicemen of many nations including the U.S. Marines, Army and Navy. The infantry units of the Army and Navy were stationed primarily in Peking, Shanghai and Tientsin, while the Navy patrolled the Yangtze River, all served with the duty of protecting American civilians and Government property. Also protecting their civilians and trade were World Powers like Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, to name a few. They established their own embassies and enclaves, which were independent of Chinese law to conduct their lucrative business. Into this maelstrom were thrust Darcy and Joe, who spend their Marine Corps careers together or separately in Guam, Peking and Shanghai. They lived in a world often referred to as "The Mysterious Orient."

About the Author

Edward Spasek participated in World War II as a Communications Officer with the III Marine Amphibious Corps in the Bougainville, Guam, and Okinawa campaigns. After the war, he graduated from Columbia University in New York City. A member of VMF-232, a Marine Corps Reserve Fighter Squadron, at Floyd Bennett Naval Air Station in Brooklyn, New York, he was called up for active duty in the Korean Conflict serving as Signal Officer of the 1st Marine Air Wing in Korea. As a civilian, he embarked on a career in the magazine publishing business. He has a Commercial Pilots License, single-engine land, with instrument and multi-engine ratings, accumulating 3,000 hours of flight time. During this period, he made 55 private plane flights to Mexico and published a book about his adventures in It's Fun to Fly in Mexico. He retired as a Colonel and resides with his wife, Marion, in San Francisco.