Hong Kong Policeman

by Chris Emmett

Hong Kong in 1970 was the fastest expanding city in the world, a city that lived on three levels - the expatriates, nearly always British who lived in almost complete isolation; the vast mass of Chinese residents struggling to get by and improve their lot; and finally the criminal and corrupt underside which not only fought among itself but also affected the life of everyone else in the Crown Colony through fear and corruption. Fighting to hold this in check - and by and large succeeding - were the Hong Kong police force. At the officer level, many were British. Into this heady and dangerous mix steps a young Merseyside policeman, Chris Emmett. His account of those times brings vividly to life the crime, prostitution, drugs, triad street gangs and corruption that was an important part of the fabric of Hong Kong of those days.

Genres: History

274 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 28

Reviews

[Yee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is full of wittiness and the author's honest opinions about his early impressions of Hong Kong people. Alongside his experience from the police training school, he also shares the cultural differences between British and Chinese in Hong Kong. From learning how to use chopsticks to ordering beer in Cantonese, the story expands beyond the police school's disciplined life. I have to give credit to the author for his brilliance in writing the Cantonese pronunciations into words. The accuracy of the Cantonese pronunciation and the English translation are superbly close. I enjoyed the story about the Cantonese class. The class won't get bored with Ridge's and Staynes's humour with the Cantonese, but I felt terrible for the teacher.

I felt Chris has excellent storytelling skill, and there is always a positive side in every tense moment. For example, the experience of facing the Chinese military in the town of Sha Tau Kok has been told in a lighthearted manner. The feud between the two villages is hilarious and exciting as well.

Book Review: Hong Kong Policeman by Chris Emmett.

[Mog · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting account of the author´s time living and working in Hong Kong during an unusual time. I think the author has been brave in approaching topics such as corruption in HK, although I´d have loved more stories about the triads - HK policeman 2?

[Cheung Ka Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was great as it talked about the officer's life and I just loved it

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t often award 5 stars but this book was really worth it.

As a Brit I came here around the same time as the author - and after 50 plus years I’m still here. The Hong Kong police do an incredible job and we live in one of the safest places in the world. This despite all the politics, dangerous eruptions, crowded conditions, Triad activity plus such a diverse population.

Reading this book made me realise how much we owe our police force - especially those who came from overseas and contributed so much performing a sometimes thankless task when protecting us and our way of life in such incredibly difficult conditions. From Cultural Revolution violence, massive illegal immigration; from the 1997 hand over to China, our police keep us in the main safe and protected So glad I read this book.

Peter Olsen - Hong Konger.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good read. A good first hand account of the Hong Kong police with a lot of personal stories. I think if you're interested in understanding more about Hong Kong's history and its police force then this is a must read.

[Victor Nobrega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent

A great memoir of a British Bobby working the beat of Hong Kong. He talks of his experiences across a range of departments in the royal Hong Kong police force. Loved it strong recommend.