Earnshaw Books Publishes 'China Rhymes'

PRLog (Press Release) - Aug 05, 2009 -
Shamus A’Rabbitt (the pen name of James Aloysius Rabbitt) is widely considered to be one of the greatest expatriate poets to ever write of the Far East. By trade, Mr. Rabbitt was an engineer stationed throughout China and Japan in the 1920s and 30s. During this time, he composed a number of poems, mostly satirical commentary on the expatriate life in Asia, which were published in several newspapers.

In 1937 and 1938, respectively, Mr. Rabbitt’s works were published in ‘Ballads of the East’ and ‘China Coast Ballads’. Though critically acclaimed and hugely popular in their day, these volumes were largely forgotten. Now, for the first time ever, Earnshaw Books has republished these two classics in one collection – ‘China Rhymes’ – complete with an informative new foreword by Andrew Chubb and the brilliant original illustrations of the beloved cartoonist Sapajou.

The poems contained within cover a wide range of topics. Shanghai and Hong Kong society, coolies, beggars, liquor, love and homesickness are all captured by the incomparable wit and style of Rabbitt’s pen. “This collection is of tremendous importance in understanding what life was like in Old China,” explains Mr. Chubb. “They recreate, as only poetry can, a visceral sense of the place.”

About Shamus A’Rabbitt: Shamus A’Rabbitt (1877-1969) was an American engineer who spent most of the years between World Wars I and II working in China and Japan. He worked on various harbor and dockyard development programs in China and served as commercial attaché at the US embassy in Tokyo. Later, he used his knowledge of the Japanese metal industry to help Washington during WW2. His poetry appeared in numerous Chinese and Japanese newspapers throughout his time in the Far East.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/10301535/1