Between the ending of the Great War and the start of the Second World War in 1939, the Royal Navy remained the largest in the world. But with the League of Nations seeming to offer a solution to all future conflicts, a country weary of war and without an obvious enemy there seemed no need for a large battlefleet. The strategic focus shifted eastwards, to Japan, with its growing battlefleet as the new threat to the British Empire and to the Royal Navy's supremacy. From 1924 a strategic plan, War Memorandum (Eastern), was written and refined. The plan called for the Royal Navy, still the largest in the world, even after the Washington Naval Treaties, to move eastwards to a defended base at Singapore, cut off Japan and force her battlefleet into a decisive fleet battle. As a strategy War Memorandum (Eastern) had many flaws. Its real importance lay in the fact that it provided a justification for the Royal Navy to maintain its leading position in the world and to be in the forefront of the development of new tactical thinking. Through planning for a war with Japan the Royal Navy was able to test its readiness for a future war. Many of the lessons learnt during this period were ultimately put to good use against a different foe in 1939.

Between the ending of the Great War and the start of the Second World War in 1939, the Royal Navy remained the largest in the world. But with the League of Nations seeming to offer a solution to all future conflicts, a country weary of war and without an obvious enemy there seemed no need for a large battlefleet. The strategic focus shifted eastwards, to Japan, with its growing battlefleet as the new threat to the British Empire and to the Royal Navy's supremacy. From 1924 a strategic plan, War Memorandum (Eastern), was written and refined. The plan called for the Royal Navy, still the largest in the world, even after the Washington Naval Treaties, to move eastwards to a defended base at Singapore, cut off Japan and force her battlefleet into a decisive fleet battle. As a strategy War Memorandum (Eastern) had many flaws. Its real importance lay in the fact that it provided a justification for the Royal Navy to maintain its leading position in the world and to be in the forefront of the development of new tactical thinking. Through planning for a war with Japan the Royal Navy was able to test its readiness for a future war. Many of the lessons learnt during this period were ultimately put to good use against a different foe in 1939.

American socialite Ruth Day visited Shanghai for several weeks in 1935 and left one of the most sparkling descriptions of the city in this book, published in a limited edition the following year and only brought to the wider world in this new edition published more than 80 years later. Ruth was the step-daughter of a prominent American financial expert who held a senior post in the Chinese government, and during her whirlwind trip, she met with absolutely everyone who was anyone, and went everywhere the high-society crowd frequented - dancehalls and night-clubs, parties and the best private homes. She describes it all with a rare flair, leaving us with a valuable and unique record of Shanghai high society and the panorama of human experience in the city during its decadent heyday. This is truly a lost classic brought back to life.

My book views the real estate business as an adventure and prepares the would-be adventurer for what might lie in store for him or her. "Rich Like Me" is a captivating guide for real estate adventurers of all kinds-from beginners to pros. It is especially relevant to today's depressed markets, where the greatest opportunities abound. Just because the markets are depressed, you don't have to be. "Rich Like Me" is a merry romp through a very serious business. One thing "Rich Like Me" is not, is a get-rich-quick book. I don't pretend to offer any magic formulas; what the book does do is offer the reader a road map which, if it's followed, can lead to the accumulation of wealth at the end of the journey. "Rich Like Me" is broken into five parts: * "The Pillars" contain 30 intuitive wealth builders-master these and you are on your way. * "Beginnings" gets you set with the best properties for your temperament, evaluating them and avoiding major pitfalls. * "Ah, the People you'll meet: Buyers, Sellers, Partners, Tenants and Especially Lawyers and their Documents" covers the most important elements of your deal. * "And Now, Some Nitty Gritty and Some of the Characters you'll Meet Along the Way" introduces all the rest of the gang (brokers, accountants, planning boards and many more) along with their issues. * "A Little More Nitty-Gritty; the Ins and Outs of a Deal" is an in-depth discussion on negotiating, day to day handling, and conclusion of your project. Throughout the book readers will be introduced to dozens of battle-hardened real estate adventurers, from whose experiences they can draw inspiration as well as cautionary lessons. And, of course, I don't stint on my own opinions about what's worked for me (and what hasn't). Every adventure is unique, every adventurer will make his or her own mistakes (and hopefully learn from them), and every adventurer has the potential of becoming wealthy-very, very wealthy.