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Shogun (Asian Saga) Hardcover – June 4, 2019

4.7 out of 5 stars 25,749 ratings

After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen-Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne's loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed.

Powerful and engrossing, capturing both the rich pageantry and stark realities of life in feudal Japan, Shogun is a critically acclaimed powerhouse of a book. Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action melds seamlessly with intricate historical detail and raw human emotion. Endlessly compelling, this sweeping saga captivated the world to become not only one of the best-selling novels of all time but also one of the highest-rated television miniseries, as well as inspiring a nationwide surge of interest in the culture of Japan. Shakespearean in both scope and depth, Shogun is, as the New York Times put it, "...not only something you read-you live it." Provocative, absorbing, and endlessly fascinating, there is only one: Shogun.

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From the Publisher

shogun james clavell
shogun james clavell
shogun james clavell

Shogun (Asian Saga) by James Clavell

Shogun (Asian Saga) by James Clavell

Shogun (Asian Saga) by James Clavell

Shogun (Asian Saga) by James Clavell

Shogun (Asian Saga) by James Clavell

Shogun (Asian Saga) by James Clavell

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blackstone Pub
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 4, 2019
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Unabridged
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1299 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1982537523
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982537524
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.9 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 2.5 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 25,749 ratings

About the author

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James Clavell
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James Clavell, the son of a Royal Navy family, was educated in Portsmouth before, as a young artillery officer, he was captured by the Japanese at the Fall of Singapore. It was on this experience that his bestselling novel KING RAT was based. He maintained this oriental interest in his other great works: TAI-PAN, SHOGUN, NOBLE HOUSE and GAI JIN. Clavell lived for many years in Vancouver and Los Angeles, before settling in Switzerland, where he died in 1994.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
25,749 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers consider this book one of their favorites, praising its compelling story and intricate plot, while also appreciating how it explains life in 15th century Japan in detail. The book features rich characters who adapt to Japanese culture, and customers find it beautiful and engaging, making it a great read for adventure seekers. The length and pacing receive mixed reactions - while some find the length welcome, others consider it very long, and while some appreciate the pacing, others say it slows down to a drag.

962 customers mention "Readability"911 positive51 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as one of their favorite books of all time.

"Clavell's most famous novel, twice adapted for television, is a magnificent epic and offers a.fascinating insight into a remarkable era of Japanese..." Read more

"...The presentation and editing seem perfect. I was a bit concerned this would be an OCR'd copy, and it may be, but it is well edited...." Read more

"Five stars for the text of the novel itself, a wonderful read, can't put it down, but this edition (2023 hardcover) has paragraphing issues that are..." Read more

"...Timeless and epic in scope. Reads like a much shorter book and is not plagued by pacing issues. One of the best I’ve ever read" Read more

649 customers mention "Story quality"590 positive59 negative

Customers find the book's story compelling, with its intricate plot and interesting historical elements. One customer notes how the author weaves knowledge into the narrative.

"...Clavell's prose crackles, his dialogue pops, and the story sweeps the reader along at the perfect pace." Read more

"...The narrative is fantastic from the point of view of the English ship pilot, Blackthorne...." Read more

"Beautiful storytelling, rich in history, political intrigue and characters that you come to care about deeply. Timeless and epic in scope...." Read more

"A timeless classic by a great author. Part of a great saga." Read more

329 customers mention "Insight into japanesen culture"326 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights into Japanese culture, particularly how it explains life in 15th century Japan in detail and serves as a wonderful introduction to the country.

"...The beauty of this book is that the story fantastically tells a story about Japan that serves perhaps a greater purpose in relating the culture of..." Read more

"Beautiful storytelling, rich in history, political intrigue and characters that you come to care about deeply. Timeless and epic in scope...." Read more

"...Contrasts are clearly delineated in every arena. Christianity is contrasted with Buddhism. Men are contrasted with women...." Read more

"...He managed to present Japanese culture in 1600, first as an unknowable enigma to an English nautical pilot, literally from the other side of the..." Read more

270 customers mention "Enjoyment"270 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and exciting, describing it as a thrilling ride that's a delight to read and learn from.

"...twice adapted for television, is a magnificent epic and offers a.fascinating insight into a remarkable era of Japanese history...." Read more

"...Yoshi Toranaga was an absolute thrill to read about; and god help anyone who thinks they've gotten the better of him...." Read more

"...Overall, I found James Clavell’s “Shōgun” to be a fascinating, adventurous read...." Read more

"...added to the expense, but the audiobook was excellent and added to the experience for me...." Read more

201 customers mention "Character development"185 positive16 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, particularly how the main character adapts to Japanese culture, and one customer notes how effectively it portrays people from different backgrounds and cultures.

"Beautiful storytelling, rich in history, political intrigue and characters that you come to care about deeply. Timeless and epic in scope...." Read more

"...some truly beautiful scenes, and has brought to life an enormous cast of characters, all with their own motives, loyalties, and dreams...." Read more

"...Fully developed characters slowly revealed over several hundred pages, causing the reader to reevaluate assumptions about the character, as well as..." Read more

"...It is about character development and the actual history of the end of the warring states period in Japan...." Read more

66 customers mention "Beauty"66 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's beauty, describing it as majestic and beyond exceptional, with one customer noting the beautiful hardback and cover design, while another appreciates how it provides a great look at feudal Japan.

"The cover is absolutely beautiful, very well made and just as good as it looked online...." Read more

"...Beyond an intriguing plot Clavell cultivates some truly beautiful scenes, and has brought to life an enormous cast of characters, all with their own..." Read more

"...Every main character of the story is a work of art...." Read more

"...I did get a replacement though. Cover is amazing!" Read more

110 customers mention "Length"45 positive65 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the length of the book, with some appreciating its grandeur while others find it very long.

"...Though the book was lengthy, it could have easily continued with no complaint from me...." Read more

"...Timeless and epic in scope. Reads like a much shorter book and is not plagued by pacing issues. One of the best I’ve ever read" Read more

"This is a really good book. It is very long though. Not only is the page count high, the font is small...." Read more

"...While huge armies are described, action is kept small, personal and intimate. There are ninjas with assassination attempts...." Read more

55 customers mention "Pacing"30 positive25 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some describing it as a sprawling epic while others find it slows down to a drag and moves slower than most books.

"...Timeless and epic in scope. Reads like a much shorter book and is not plagued by pacing issues. One of the best I’ve ever read" Read more

"...The plot evolves extremely slow at times,..." Read more

"...liked the FX series, the novel will truly captivate you, providing a richness and texture to the characters and plot that truly illuminates the story..." Read more

"...As with other extremely lengthy novels, there are times the story moves slowly...." Read more

A pleasure to read.
5 out of 5 stars
A pleasure to read.
This hardback will now always have a place of honor on my bookshelf. I wish I had read it years ago as I had enjoyed the original mini series back then. The new series is also something you shouldn't miss.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2025
    The cover is absolutely beautiful, very well made and just as good as it looked online. Arrived in very good condition, a couple small nicks/marks but that is unavoidable when having a book shipped across the country.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2025
    Clavell's most famous novel, twice adapted for television, is a magnificent epic and offers a.fascinating insight into a remarkable era of Japanese history. Clavell's prose crackles, his dialogue pops, and the story sweeps the reader along at the perfect pace.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2011
    First off, I find it odd that at the time I'm writing this review the Kindle edition is not available in the U.S. (I purchased it nearly a year ago for my Kindle in the U.S.).

    Aside from that, this has been the first time I've tackled a novel of such epic proportions from the size of the novel to the extent of the story and more. I was never much of a literary type, and I've generally been ignorant when it comes to the great works and authors of the 20th century with the exception of those famous authors every high schooler reads.

    Now as I approach middle age, I've chosen to tackle works and authors that seem to be accepted or destined to be classics.

    Shogun was a different type of novel for me in the sense that it is historical fiction set in Japan. Having been to Japan, I was curious to read this book. I am not sorry I did. The beauty of this book is that the story fantastically tells a story about Japan that serves perhaps a greater purpose in relating the culture of the country. While the setting may be centuries ago, the cultural aspects seem well connected to what I experienced in my own travels. There is something peaceful in the exotic nature of the Japanese Culture, and this book really sucks one into it.

    The narrative is fantastic from the point of view of the English ship pilot, Blackthorne. I'll have to admit that I was surprised to find this character and point of view right from the beginning. Only knowing the title of the book, I had thought I might have the wrong book even, but once the English ship becomes stranded in Japan, those thoughts vanished. It then becomes apparent that James Clavell intended Blackthorne in a dual role. Not only is he the protagonist of the story, he is the link between the Western and Eastern world. I really felt that as the story progressed and Blackthorne becomes Japanese through his own awareness of the culture, so did I. It is a story that leaves one feeling accomplished and educated. While the plot itself has its ups and downs be it political corruption, strife, conflict, etc., I felt I achieved something and obtained something from a novel that is not often obtained from the books I've read.

    As for the Kindle edition... I loved it. This book is a monster from what I've seen at book stores. The presentation and editing seem perfect. I was a bit concerned this would be an OCR'd copy, and it may be, but it is well edited. There have been some rare typos (I've noticed 2 over the whole book). My only other complaint is that there are certain words that are italicized repeatedly that feel a little silly (e.g. ninja towards the end of the book), but that may very well have been in the original printings. The Kindle format kept the size of the novel from being intimidating although I often wish the Kindle itself could hide the progress bar and percentage. I'm not a fast reader, and it was disheartening at times to spend an hour reading only to find I've gone 1 or 2% on the progress bar.
    48 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2025
    Five stars for the text of the novel itself, a wonderful read, can't put it down, but this edition (2023 hardcover) has paragraphing issues that are common enough to be a persistent annoyance--dialogue exchanges between two characters are run together into the same paragraph, indentations are occasionally missed, and there's even a subdivision of a chapter that falls right in the middle of a paragraph for some reason. It's a matter of careless typesetting rather than Clavell's artistic choices (Clavell writes to be read clearly, if anything). This is probably the most convenient physical edition currently in print--It's either this or the cash-grab paperbacks that divide the novel unnecessarily into two volumes--but the paragraphing issues are a shame.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2025
    Beautiful storytelling, rich in history, political intrigue and characters that you come to care about deeply. Timeless and epic in scope. Reads like a much shorter book and is not plagued by pacing issues. One of the best I’ve ever read
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2025
    Gorgeous books in one book! It's weighty, but so is its material in all the best ways! You won't be disappointed.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2025
    A timeless classic by a great author. Part of a great saga.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2025
    I have read this book before and it is really good. I am currently reading James Clavell's complete Asian Saga series.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Catherine
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best James Clavell Book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2025
    There is something about Shogun that never fails to fascinate. The plot is excellent, the characters are multi-dimensional, the insight into the Japanese way of life at the time, incredible.
  • Miguel Godínez M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Increíble historia vale la pena tenerlo
    Reviewed in Mexico on May 21, 2022
    Excelente libro
  • Emilia
    5.0 out of 5 stars Maravilhoso
    Reviewed in Brazil on December 5, 2024
    Romance eletrizante que apresenta bastante da cultura japonesa. Partes emocionantes da trama não estão na série de TV. Recomendo a leitura.
    Report
  • HaraSpar
    5.0 out of 5 stars とても面白い本です
    Reviewed in Japan on August 4, 2021
    非常に面白く書いてある本です。ベストセラーになった理由は良くわかります。
  • Lsh
    5.0 out of 5 stars excellent novel
    Reviewed in France on May 29, 2025
    This fiction, although based on the true story of an English sailor, is truly captivating and allows us to understand the samurai for whom honor and loyalty are the very essence of their lives. I recommend it, but what a shame there is no sequel.