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Read the gripping book behind Emmy award-winning Shogun
The novel is based on the real life exploits of a 17th century English sailor
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Your support makes all the difference.Set amid the threat of civil war in Japan in 1600, the bloody historical epic Shogun on Disney+ has been hailed as the new Game of Thrones.
The lavish and gruesome drama follows an English sailor, John Blackthorne (played by Richard Chamberlain), who is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan.
The loyal sailor soon finds himself thrown into the midst of a war between Lord Yoshi Toranaga (Toshirô Mifune) and Ishido (Nobuo Kaneko). As the two powerful men struggle for the ultimate military title of “shogun”, Blackthorne becomes embroiled in a complex political battle.
Realistically depicting the era of samurais and feudalism, the fast-paced series is based on James Clavell’s 1975 epic novel of the same name which is a mammoth 1,136 pages long. Drawing from Clavell’s experience fighting in World War Two and being a prisoner of war, Shogun is the third book in the cult author’s expansive Asian Saga series.
If you’re binging the show and want to delve deeper into the Shogun world, here’s how to read the book behind the hit Disney+ series.
‘Shogun’ by James Clavell, published by Hodder: £5.99 on Kindle, Amazon.co.uk
Published in 1975, Clavell’s epic novel is set in 1600 and follows pilot major John Blackthorne after he’s shipwrecked off the coast of Japan. Detailing his contentious integration into the struggles and strife of feudal Japan, the book charts the English sailor’s rise up the ranks, from reviled to a trusted advisor.
Set against a backdrop of burgeoning civil war, Blackthorne becomes embroiled in the political battle between two powerful daimyōs, Toranaga and Ishido.
The protagonist’s fictional adventures are based on the real-life exploits of William Adams, who was the first English person to reach Japan on an expedition in 1600. Just like Clavell’s hero, Adams’ became a key advisor to the shogun.
The third book published in Clavell’s Asian Saga series, Shogun is the first novel to read in chronological order. The full series includes Tai-Pan (Amazon.co.uk), Gai-Jin (Amazon.co.uk), King Rat (Amazon.co.uk), Noble House (Amazon.co.uk) and Whirlwind (Amazon.co.uk).
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