Ballard, J.G. Empire of the Sun.

A World War 2 novel that, though primarily set on land, has strong ties to the sea through one of author Ballard’s primary characters, a despicable ship’s steward. The powerful coming of age story is set in wartime Japanese-occupied Shanghai, with life seen through the eyes of 11 year old English boy named Jamie whose family is part of that city’s ruling (European) elite. In the turmoil of Japan’s 1941 takeover of the city he is separated from his family and, after two months living alone in the family’s now deserted International Settlement mansion, the youngster falls into the dangerous company of Basie, an American ship’s steward hiding out from the Japanese in an abandoned shipyard. The two are ultimately captured and wind up together in a civilian internee camp outside Shanghai. In many ways, Empire of the Sun can be read as an updated 20th Century version of the classic sea yarn Treasure Island , with Jamie playing the Jim Hawkins role to Basie’s creepy (and sometimes sympathetic) Long John Silver. Survival, instead of gold, is the treasure that both seek, with Basie continually – and often casually – betraying Jamie (whom he’d christened “Jim”) in order to aggrandize his own wartime profits and schemes. The novel concludes in late 1945 with Jim finally, after four years of internment, reunited with his parents and now aboard the Shaw-Savill liner ARAWA ready to sail to England. The novel was later (1987) turned into a big budget Steven Spielberg movie, with the actor John Malkovich playing the pivotal role of Basie.