Far Eastern Tales is a collection of short stories born of Maugham's experiences in Malaysia, Singapore and other outposts of the former British Empire. Whether portraying a ship-borne flight from a lover's curse, murder in the jungle or a marriage shattered by a past indiscretion, they all reveal Maugham at his best – sometimes caustic, sometimes gently comic, but always the shrewd and human judge of character and soul. The stories included on this recording are Footprints in the Jungle; Mabel; P & O; The Door of Opportunity; The Buried Talent; Before the Party; Mr. Know-all; Neil MacAdam; The End of the Flight; and The Force of Circumstance.