Fragile cargo : the World War II race to save the treasures of China's Forbidden City

Summary: Spring, 1933. Peking's Forbidden City is tense with fear and expectation. Japan's aircraft drone overhead, its troops and tanks are only hours away. How will the curators protect the vast imperial art collections in their charge? A million pieces of art-- objects that carry China's deepest and most ancient memories. For sixteen years the curators, under the leadership of museum director Ma Heng, would transport the imperial art collection thousands of miles across China. Brookes details the story of a curators and their fragile, invaluable cargo. -- adapted from jacket.

Record details

ISBN: 1982149299
ISBN: 9781982149291
Physical Description: 370 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), map ; 24 cm
print
Edition: First Atria Books hardcover edition.
Publisher: New York : Atria Books, 2023.
Copyright: ©2022

Content descriptions

General Note:	"Originally published in the United Kingdom in 2022 by Chatto & Windus"--Title page verso.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 347-348) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Prelude: The Forbidden City -- First glimpse of the Imperial collections -- The shabby professor -- Peace, and war -- Evacuation -- Shanghai -- To London -- The southern route -- Fleeing Nanjing -- The central route -- The northern route -- A sort of sanctuary -- The unforgettable day -- Exile? -- Hunting tigers.