A Rising Son In The Land of Nine Dragons: A Eurasian Boy's coming of age during Hong Kong's Lost Era of the '50s and '60s

This book has all the ingredients for an interesting and enjoyable story; a fascinating location, interesting experiences worth sharing and thoughtful insight and perspective on how his early life might have been shaping the future. After reading this biography of a brief period of the authors life, it is hard not to be very jealous of such a life. But it is still easy to compare it to one's own teen experiences along the way. It is a good way to experience a bit of geography and history wrapped up in an interesting life story. I commend the author for baring his soul and giving us his insightful wisdom of how his experiences laid a moral and intellectual base for his future. Maybe it gives us a better look into our own backgrounds and how they may have shaped our lives.

This book is an amazing tale of growing up in the 50's and 60's in Hong Kong. It is hard to imagine life as a teenage boy in a city where one can race motorbikes through the streets at night, have kite fights from the roof tops and take a hydrofoil over to Macau for an evening of gambling, but Tony is able to transport us to this unique world. Throughout his beautifully told story we can feel what it must have been like to experience all these adventures. How different an adolescence Tony experienced and how enjoyable to read all about it. This fast paced book with its vivid descriptions is a Fabulous Read.

This is a fascinating book about a young boys experience in Hong Kong in the 50's and 60's. Having never been to Hong Kong it gave me an appreciation about live there during this period. It makes me wonder what it is like now that is a part of China.It made me wonder how Tony survived but he did to become a very successful businessman in the United States. I had no understanding about the quality of the Cooper automobile until I read this book. How much of his reference to it was a teenagers fantasy vs reality but it came across as a very special car.

I read the book and as I was a young boy at the time and attended the school when it was called the Central British before changing to the KGV I was interested to see that the school had progressed in a way that I would ave been pleased with but as my parents retired in 1949 from Hong Kong(my father was the G.M. of the Hong Electric Company) I was sent to a Public School in the U.K. Although I was young at the time I vividly recall the school and some of the events and some of the names.-Well done Tony!!

A must-read for anyone who wants to know what it was like to grow up and live in this magical land called HongKong. Mr. Tebbutt is the perfect candidate to write such a book, and his view through Eurasian eyes is a unique one, and adds another dimension, a sort of 'behind the scenes' look. For those of us who grew up in this wonderful and magical place at that time, we're grateful that someone has told the story of our young lives. If you have been entranced by Clavell's tales in 'Noble House' and Martin Booth's reminiscences of the old British colony in 'Gweilo' you're going to want to add this one to your library. Tony Tebbutt has written an honest account, and has done it with great creativity. His stories about kite fighting from HongKong's rooftops are cleverly told. Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, triads, etc. it's all here! I think we can expect more from this Rising Son...I hope so!

I found Mr Tebbutt's book to be a refreshingly honest compilation of stories from his youth. How many of us could write of our own exploits? Mr Tebbutt should be heralded for rising to the challenge to which we all aspire: to leave something behind so the world knows we were here. No doubt this book, in its simplicity and straight-forwardness, will pull others out of their shells to write and publish their youthful memoirs. These experiences are what form our lives as adults. It is for no one to pass judgment. It just is. Thank you, Tony, for that reminder.

The author's candid revelations about the desires and insecurities of youth make it worth reading. A natural raconteur. This book was hard to put down. His characters cover the gamut from great to grimy. A wonderful read.

Even though I visited Hongkong many times, I had no idea of the other places that existed that I could have visited. Getting a view from a young kid with his experiences was an eye opener for me. Especially, as he grew older his insights of the kind of life he had + his comments as a grown up made this book so interesting to read. Very few people has this kind of unusual opportunity and then to put it in writing to share to the world; especially, those who don't know this kind of culture makes this book a "good read."

Growing up in the 60's in an unique location with a society that had learned to live to the fullest. No heatlh and safety concerns. No govt intervention in what you ate or drank. Dangerous to some but an elixir to others. My hope town which has disappeared only to become moreso.

I was looking forward to learning more about Hong Kong, so I was disappointed to start with a long detailed description of a yo-yo competition. However once I got into the story I started to enjoy it more. The book covers many topics some of which I found more interesting than others, however I did end the book feeling that I knew a lot more about life in Hong Kong. My favourite part was the detailed descriptions of kite fighting which I only knew about previously from "the Kite Runner".

Well written & enjoyable. Regarding the heroin shipment from Manila. The individual who was arrested & spent 7 years in prison was Roberto Baptista alias Tanas. Were you protecting him or had you forgotten. He spent most of his remaining years in a wheelchair, after a stroke, & died some years back in Macau. Thanks for the shout about me Tony. Stephen Wong

Anyone who spent a wonderful and unforgettable childhood in Hong Kong - especially if they miss the Hong Kong of old...guaranteed to take you back 50+ years.

I very much enjoyed reading this book because I grew up in Hong Kong as a boy and went to the same school as the author and even lived opposite him in Kowloon. I connect with so many things in this book that it brought those days back to me. There are bits of humour, excitement and sadness all of which make it a good read.