Ballard later wrote of his experiences in China as a boy and the making of the film of the same name in his autobiography Miracles of Life.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, Japan occupies the Shanghai International Settlement, and in the following chaos Jim becomes separated from his parents.

Although the Japanese are "officially" the enemies, Jim identifies partly with them, both because he adores the pilots with their splendid machines and because he feels that Lunghua is still a comparatively safer place for him.

Towards the end of the war, with the Japanese army collapsing, the food supply runs short.

[3] The screenplay was filmed by Steven Spielberg, to critical acclaim, being nominated for six Oscars[4] and winning three BAFTA awards (for cinematography, music and sound).