The Siege at Peking

By: Peter Fleming

Narrated by: David Shaw-Parker

In June 1900 the foreign legations at Peking were attacked by troops of the Boxer rebellion and Imperial Chinese troops. The ensuing siege lasted 55 days and shook the world. In this work, Peter Fleming traces its history and impact.

©1959 Peter Fleming (P)2012 Audible Ltd

So, THAT'S where they got the movie from!

As a youth I was thrilled by the (now) old-fashioned derring-do, color, and bravery of the movie "55 Days in Peking" with Charleston Heston, David Niven, Ava Gardner et al. The story of the "Boxer Rebellion" and its siege of the foreign legations in Peking in 1900 was drawn from this book. Well-written, well-paced, and very well read!
The only quibble is that the book reflects its provenance ( UK, 1959) when the author quotes Frenchmen in their original French and leaves their words untranslated. One supposes Peter Fleming assumed any educated person could handle a few sentences in French ;-) However, at least the French is well-pronounced by the narrator.

Recommended!

fantastic

simply incredible telling of a major and defining event often overlooked by the history books. Great, lively narration.

The History Behind the Movie

For fans of Charlton Heston's movie "55 Days at Peking", this is the history that inspired the movie. I knew something of the history of the Boxer Rebellion and the Allied efforts to relieve the besieged legations. Fleming's book gives great detail of the intrigue in the Chinese Imperial Court, the dithering of the Allied ministers and the bravery of the soldiers and residents of the foreign legations. Shaw-Parker's narration was a bit dry at times, but good overall.

55 Days at Peking

This book, by Ian Fleming’s brother, was probably the inspiration for the movie named above. There is very little written about the siege, unfortunately, because it is a great tale. This book however is thorough and well written, and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this little known but important historical event.

Old school, but engaging

One can certainly find many more current and more scholarly studies on the Boxer Rebellion. For a work written in 1959, however, Fleming's treatment of China's reaction to European imperialism is remarkably sympathetic and balanced. Moreover it's a great read so far as military history goes. The book's one bothersome issue is giving a number of quotes in French without offering translations. The narration is a perfect match for the subject.