The dragon by M. P. Shiel
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"The dragon" by M. P. Shiel is a novel written in the early 20th century. It appears to be a geopolitical thriller that pits Britain’s heir-apparent, Prince Edward “Teddy,” against the brilliant and ruthless Chinese prodigy Li Ku Yu, as an East–West power struggle gathers toward global crisis. Key figures include the sharp-tongued Queen Minna, the inventive Richard Chinnery, and Oyone, a half-Japanese agent whose loyalties shape the looming conflict. The opening
of the novel begins with Teddy’s upbringing, his mother’s forceful guidance, and his schoolboy duel with Li Ku Yu, after which Teddy is secretly aided by Eulalia Bayley, a girl who captures his heart. It then shifts to London, where Li Ku hardens himself for leadership and recruits Oyone as a covert operative, even tasking her to get close to Chinnery and, if needed, to strike at the British prince. The narrative moves to Peking, where Li Ku stages a coup, restores the Dowager’s power, and rapidly ascends, ruling with harsh reforms and anti-Western propaganda. He tries to bind China and Japan, uses conscription and lurid “cinematograph” campaigns, and exploits a sensational Australian gold discovery to tempt Japan into risky alignments. As he engineers a Russo–Japanese thaw and a German-backed Chinese loan, Europe reels: Shantung becomes a flashpoint, fleets mobilize, and France’s stance is uncertain. In London’s swelling crowds, the Queen speaks defiantly while rumors of Japanese warships sold to Germany ignite panic, and familiar faces—Eulalia, Chinnery, Oyone—watch as Parliament is pressed to act. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Shiel, M. P. (Matthew Phipps), 1865-1947 |
|---|---|
| Title | The dragon |
| Original Publication | London: Grant Richards Ltd., 1913. |
| Note | Also published under the title: The yellow peril, and serialized under the title: To arms! |
| Credits | Aaron Adrignola, Robert Tonsing, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Great Britain -- Fiction |
| Subject | Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction |
| Subject | China -- Fiction |
| Subject | Speculative fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 77957 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-77957-7 |
| Release Date | Feb 16, 2026 |
| Last Update | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 349 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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