I bought this used back in '96 or '97, and devoured it in one week. Clavelle's writing style is hypnotic, and the story is engrossing from the ISBN to the finis. The novel sparked a fascinated curiosity about Japan back when anime was still strictly for nerds ( no offense, I've come to enjoy anime too!) The exploits of the protagonist, Anjin San ( which is what the Japanese called the Englishman, Blackthorne -- in the novel, at least. I haven't seen either of the film versions) were gripping.Out of immense curiosity...I'm now waiting on a brand new hardcover copy of James Clavell's
(1312pg) 'Shōgun'.
View attachment 1814672View attachment 1814666View attachment 1814674View attachment 1814667
"Some books leave us free and some makes us free". Ralph Waldo Emerson
A few years afterward I was living in Japan, courtesy of Uncle Sam. I had an apartment that was three train stations away from the Navy base (train stations being my rough guide for navigation at first). And so for a year I would pass by the intervening 2 stations without giving them much thought.
One day, out of sudden curiosity, I decided to explore new territory, and alighted at the Anjinzuka station. I had passed it hundreds of times, heedless, but why not see how it compared to my own neighborhood? It was only 3 miles away from my apartment as the crow flies, but Japan is brimming with small, hidden treasures lurking in the most nondescript places, so it was well worth checking out.
I walked randomly, with no goal in mind, and wandered into a small, neat, well-kept park with a compact memorial at the center. Idly, I examined the plaque-- it was in English! And it was dedicated to... The Anjin san! Anjin san....Anjinzuka....of course! All this time I had been living within walking distance of Anjin san's stomping grounds!
The character of Blackthorne is based on a real person, an Englishman named Will Adams. The plot of Shogun is largely fictitious, but Adams really did shipwreck in Japan, and eventually gave the Japanese enough nautical instruction to build a war fleet if their own. Adams is buried in Yohkohama, a 15 minute ride north on the train line that took me to work. There is a book about Adams' life called The Needle Watcher. It's available on Amazon, if anyone should be interested.
20 years later and I still recall the shock of that discovery with great clarity. You will love Shogun if you have a pulse!