▁Sw ire ▁t ai - p ans , ▁John ▁Kid ston ▁" J ock " ▁Sw ire ▁and ▁William ▁Charles ▁God d ard ▁Know les . ▁ ▁Un like ▁the ▁other ▁Asian ▁S aga ▁nov els , ▁No ble ▁House ▁is ▁not ▁closely ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁specific ▁series ▁of ▁events , ▁but ▁is ▁more ▁a ▁snapshot ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong , ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁caps ule ▁history ▁of ▁J ard ine ▁Math es on ▁against ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁the ▁imp ending ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁recent ▁Kim ▁Phil by ▁defe ction . ▁Though ▁the ▁pro log ue ▁is ▁set ▁on ▁June ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁against ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁the ▁real ▁Ty ph oon ▁Mary , ▁the ▁story ▁opens ▁on ▁Sunday , ▁August ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁and ▁runs ▁through ▁the ▁days ▁immediately ▁preceding ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁US ▁President ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁J ard ine ▁Math es on ▁became ▁a ▁public ▁company , ▁with ▁the ▁initial ▁offer ▁o vers ub scri bed ▁over ▁ 5 6 ▁times , ▁which ▁is ▁attributed ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁to ▁t ai - pan ▁Ian ▁Dun ross . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁the ▁Hong k ong ▁Land ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁J ard ine ▁Math es on ▁( f ict ional ized ▁as ▁" As ian ▁Properties ") ▁opened ▁what ▁was ▁then ▁the ▁Mand arin ▁Oriental