Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Yang Shen, The God from the West, Book I” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Yang Shen, The God from the West, Book I

James Lande (Goodreads Author)

4.38 · Rating details · 16 ratings · 4 reviews

[This instance on Goodreads of the 2nd Edition shows an earlier lower resolution cover]

Only one man dared fight to defend Shanghai from rebel hordes - the American adventurer who called up a ragtag band of deserters to defeat armies of thousands.

"A master in hell before a minion in Heaven. I'll be a prince in China, and lord over these heathen beggars, or I'll make a grea ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 2nd edition, 556 pages

Published July 4th 2013 by Old China Books (first published August 1st 2011)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Yang Shen, The God from the West, Book I, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Yang Shen, The God from the West, Book I

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-42

Average rating 4.38 ·

Rating details

· 16 ratings · 4 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Yang Shen, The God from the West, Book I

Jan 23, 2013 Shannon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Yankee Mandarin

by James Lande

Old China Books

www.oldchinabooks.com

publisher@oldchinabooks.com

blog.oldchinabooks.com

Yankee Mandarin is a work of love by a person who has extraordinary and detailed knowledge about the subject, the time, and the tensions of the area. It is very carefully crafted, and I respect the work that is represented here. Personally, I found that there was too much detail, too much precision in the descriptions of the changing of sails and charting the navigation and the diffe ...more

flag Like · see review

Oct 25, 2011 James Lande rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone who liked Shogun...and Taipan

Recommended to James by: The author

Continuing in the tradition of Shogun and Taipan, James Lande is writing a blockbuster novel about the adventure of a 19th century American soldier-of-fortune who returns to China to topple the Manchu dynasty and make himself a prince, even emperor, in China. Arriving in the midst of the bloodiest civil war in human history, Fletcher Thorson Wood instead takes up the imperial cause against the "Christian" rebels, trains and fights beside native Chinese troops and mandarins, builds the most powe Continuing in the tradition of Shogun and Taipan, James Lande is writing a blockbuster novel about the adventure of a 19th century American soldier-of-fortune who returns to China to topple the Manchu dynasty and make himself a prince, even emperor, in China. Arriving in the midst of the bloodiest civil war in human history, Fletcher Thorson Wood instead takes up the imperial cause against the "Christian" rebels, trains and fights beside native Chinese troops and mandarins, builds the most powerful Army in China, and as reward for his achievements is made not a prince but a Chinese god. If you liked Shogun, you may also like Yang Shen. You'll find it at WWW.YANG-SHEN.INFO, and there is more info at WWW.OLDCHINABOOKS.COM. Yang Shen is at Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.

When America's civil war began, China's civil war approached its horrific end. Late imperial China suffered severely from domestic disorder and foreign affliction - set upon by rebels within and Western "barbarians" without.

China's rulers themselves were a foreign dynasty of Manchu and Mongol conquerors who lived apart from native Han Chinese in walled garrisons in the heart of Chinese cities. Taiping insurgents professing a "Christian" faith conquered half the country and threatened to replace the old Confucian order. English, French, Russians and Americans warred against China over ratification of "unequal" treaties won by gunboat "diplomacy."

Into the midst of China's maelstrom came an American adventurer leading a ragtag army in defense of empire - a man from the West grateful Chinese made into a god, a "yang shen." Yang Shen tells a story of the encounter, sometimes the clash, of Americans and Chinese. Based closely on primary and secondary source material from both the Chinese and Western record, Yang Shen draws on the work of hundreds of scholars of late imperial China whose insights inspired much of the story's abundant detail. More than a historical adventure, Yang Shen recreates times long past, places long lost in China, and long-silent voices of people in America, China, and England who lived through cataclysmic events that echo still.

About the Author
James Lande was born in Los Angeles in 1945 and grew up in Southern California. He served four years in the U. S. Army, graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Chinese Language and Literature, and lived in China (Taiwan) for three years. James was seasoned by a variety of jobs (ambulance attendant, marine biology technician, hospital orderly, taxicab driver, policeman, swimming pool manager, ESL teacher, bartender, Chinese driving instructor, casualty insurance investigator...) before settling into a 30-year career as a commercial applications software developer and project manager. Over the years, James has attempted several novels - Yang Shen is his first novel to reach publication. More at James Lande's Author Page at Amazon.com.
...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 John Garner rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Want to be picked up and dropped in the middle of a bloody civil war? Want to get stuck on a sandbar and battle a small fleet of pirates, while armed with only a six pound cannon and a few obsolete rifles? If this doesn't quench your adventurous thirst, then how about attacking a walled city guarded by blood-thirsty rebels, with less than a hundred intoxicated, undertrained mercenaries and deserters?

Or maybe you are in more of a social mood. How about mingling with rich merchants, decorated mili Want to be picked up and dropped in the middle of a bloody civil war? Want to get stuck on a sandbar and battle a small fleet of pirates, while armed with only a six pound cannon and a few obsolete rifles? If this doesn't quench your adventurous thirst, then how about attacking a walled city guarded by blood-thirsty rebels, with less than a hundred intoxicated, undertrained mercenaries and deserters?

Or maybe you are in more of a social mood. How about mingling with rich merchants, decorated military leaders, dignitaries, and consuls at a palace by the Shanghai harbor?

If you find yourself suffocating or intimidated by the extravagant dress and arrogant behavior of the elite British, French, and Americans who are well-off and well connected; simply walk down a short way and enter one of the less formal establishments where the conversation, alcohol, and women are much easier to come by.

When you wake up the following morning, if your hangover allows it, take a trip to inland China on the Whangpoo River and tour a medieval landscape of ancient, walled towns and primitive farmers and their huts along the waterway. You might as well get bullied by a petty king of the rebels. Don't worry, he'll let you go if you pay him an extortion fee of a small fortune. By now, you should have had a full day and be ready for your bunk in the bowels of a side-paddle river steamer that is assigned to suppress murdering pirates up and down the Yangtze River.

Of course, if your blood's hot, and chasing pirates in their own familiar territory just doesn't scratch that itch for adventure, you can always join that mercenary, bull-headed American opportunist Fletcher Wood. This will give you the official Chinese seal of approval to jump right into the bloodiest civil war in history. You can shoot and kill, or get shot and killed. And if you need more risk to add some spice, just remember it is possible that you can go to jail for all this fun if the British or American powers-that-be decide you are violating their political instructions.

Anyone that likes historical novels with a little action, or action novels with a little history, should definitely try Lande on for size. The first chapters are a little awkward for me, because I know very little of China's history. However, Lande does a very good job of introducing the 19th century culture of the Yangtze Delta to the ignorant (in laymen's terms). It really is a good 101 lesson on some of the customs and politcal structures of that ancient nation.

If you like Shogun, you'll like this novel. If you like Master and Commander, or similar maritime tales, you'll like this book. My only surprise is that we don't see it on the New York Times' bestseller list. ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 19, 2011 Ron rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Having recently finished the unabridged version of Les Miserables, when I began Yang Shen I immediately noticed a similarity between the technique of Mr Lande with the work of Victor Hugo. Both authors have interspersed chapters containing a wide variety of historical detail with other chapters which weave the threads of exciting, action stories. The drama of Yang Shen extends from fighting pirates on the high seas to negotiating passage through vicious rebel armies on the upper reaches of the t ...more

flag Like · see review

Robert Keeley rated it it was amazing
May 30, 2012

Nov 22, 2013 James Lande rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Leeching rated it liked it
May 07, 2014

Daniel Lam rated it it was ok
May 25, 2016

Lee Holz rated it liked it
Jan 14, 2012

Aug 30, 2012 James Lande rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Rob Walters rated it it was amazing
Jul 03, 2015

Alexander rated it it was amazing
Dec 07, 2011

T rated it it was amazing
Nov 18, 2019

Tom Carter rated it it was amazing
Aug 02, 2012

James rated it it was amazing
Nov 18, 2011

James Pope rated it it was amazing
Jan 13, 2015

R.J. Murphy marked it as to-read
Nov 17, 2011

cheryl marked it as to-read
Nov 17, 2011

Peter added it
Nov 18, 2011

Jo-Ann Murphy marked it as to-read
Nov 18, 2011

Joanne marked it as to-read
Nov 19, 2011

Kim Higdon marked it as to-read
Nov 19, 2011

Esther marked it as to-read
Nov 19, 2011

Laura marked it as to-read
Nov 19, 2011

Jaded marked it as to-read
Nov 19, 2011

Josiah marked it as to-read
Nov 22, 2011

Elizabeth Case marked it as to-read
Nov 22, 2011

Troy Brumfield marked it as to-read
Dec 13, 2011

Alec marked it as to-read
Dec 16, 2011

Amy marked it as to-read
Dec 19, 2011

Rivkah marked it as to-read
Jan 04, 2012

Jezebel Parks marked it as to-read
Jan 05, 2012

Beth Snlder added it
Jan 07, 2012

Sarah marked it as to-read
Jan 10, 2012

Connie added it
Jan 11, 2012

Heather Fineisen marked it as to-read
Jan 11, 2012

Shahrun marked it as to-read
Jan 12, 2012

Quetzi Fernald marked it as to-read
Jan 13, 2012

Melissa marked it as to-read
Jan 14, 2012

Rose Cimarron marked it as to-read
Jan 14, 2012

Harry marked it as to-read
Jan 14, 2012

Sheila marked it as to-read
Jan 14, 2012

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
China: Yang Shen 2nd edition (print) DISCOUNTED	1	7	Apr 14, 2017 09:13AM
China Book Club: Yang Shen 2nd edition (print) DISCOUNTED	1	8	Apr 14, 2017 09:10AM
Yankee Mandarin	1	2	Aug 30, 2012 11:36AM
Yang Shen eBook 1-DAY 99¢ SALE on now!	1	3	May 16, 2012 08:32AM
Reader questions from Yang Shen book readings in April 2012	1	2	Apr 22, 2012 09:17AM
Q&A with James Lande: Welcome to Goodreads Q&A for YANG SHEN	2	2	Feb 04, 2012 08:54AM
Historical fiction about China in the 19th century	1	3	Nov 10, 2011 11:36AM

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Add a comment

Genres

Historical > Historical Fiction

1 user

See top shelves…

About James Lande

James Lande

3 followers

Books by James Lande

Yang Shen: The God from the West, Book I, 1st Edition

More…

Debut Novel Finds Resilience in Reading Jane Austen

While dealing with her husband's illness, this debut author turned to the refuge of Jane Austen's work. That refuge turned into her highly anticipa...