Loosely based on events in the early 1600s, Shōgun begins in the aftermath of the Battle of Sekigahara which immediately preceded the Shogunate restoration. For nearly 30 years Japan had been … See more

The clandestine mission of the Dutch ship Erasmus was to compete with Portugal for Japan and the rest of the lucrative far East Asian trade. After much of its crew, including its captain, dies, it ends up … See more

Shogun is a work of historical fiction based upon the power struggle between the successors of Toyotomi Hideyoshi that led to the founding of the Tokugawa shogunate. Clavell based each character on a historical figure, but changed their names in order to add … See more

Blackthorne's interactions with Toranaga are closely based upon accounts in the diaries of William Adams (1564–1620). However, while Adams served in Tokugawa's army at Sekigahara, he did not become a retainer or a samurai until after the battle. See more

Clavell was an officer in the Royal Artillery during World War II and was a prisoner of war at Changi Prison in Singapore from 1942 to 1945, an experience that formed the basis of his first novel King Rat. Despite this experience, he admired Japan and the Japanese people, … See more

The New York Times's Webster Schott wrote, "I can't remember when a novel has seized my mind like this one [...] It's almost impossible not to continue to read Shōgun once having opened it". In addition to becoming a best-seller, with more than six million copies of the … See more

Television
In 1976 Clavell employed Robert Bolt to write a screenplay. In 1978, he selected Eric Bercovici to write a miniseries for NBC. Clavell and Bercovici decided to simplify the story for an American television audience by … See more