It is November 12, 1941, and the world is at war. In Shanghai, however, thousands celebrate the birthday of China's founding father, Sun Yat-sen, in a new city center built to challenge European imperialism. At the center of the International Settlement, the heart of Western colonization—but also of Chinese progressivism, art, commerce, cosmopolitanism—Champions Day unfolds at the racetrack, drawing tens of thousands of Chinese spectators and Europeans alike to bet on the horses. In this sharp and lively snapshot of the day's events, James Carter recaptures the complex history of Old Shanghai, a city poised for revolution.