As somebody who has at all times taken an curiosity in Japanese historical past, James Clavell’s 1975 novel Shōgun is one in all my all-time favourite books. It’s an attractive premise: the story of the primary Englishman to succeed in Japan and his experiences inside the nation. A battle for survival results in an precise necessary position, our adventuring lead in the end rubbing shoulders with a few of Japan’s most necessary and elite historic figures.
It’s an intriguing journey that masquerades as a historical past guide – or maybe it’s the opposite manner round?
The reality is, Clavell performed pretty quick and misplaced with the precise historical past. Shogun’s protagonist John Blackthorne is immediately based mostly on William Adams, who was the primary Englishman to succeed in Japan. Adams was an necessary determine – however Clavell takes it fairly a bit additional.