Since the 2012 publication of the bestselling
Midnight in Peking, Paul French has been linked to Beijing, or at least some historical iteration of it. Since then, he's followed up with
Badlands: Decadent Playground of Old Peking, and now starts 2021 with two new Northern Capital offerings:
Destination Peking, a look at the lives of 18 Beijingers of note from the first half of the 20th century, and
Peking Noir, a BBC Radio 3 docudrama, also available as a podcast. French talked to
the Beijinger about why the city's history still captivates him.
the Beijinger (TBJ): So for a guy who is not particularly in love with Beijing, it seems to keep drawing you back.