"Learning From SHOGUN" is a companion book to the James Clavell novel. A scholarly work, the book holds the novel up to the scrutiny of actual history, points out what was right, what was wrong, and delineates the actual historical personages upon which the novel's characters were based.
Since SHOGUN ends at a time just before Usagi's stories begin (SHOGUN ends just before the Battle of Sekigahara; Usagi's stories start after), "Learning From SHOGUN" is germaine to all Usagi fans wanting to learn more about Japanese history.
Out-of-print for over twenty years, the authors and editors have now made the book available as a free download. Get it here:
http://www.columbia.edu/~hds2/learning/
"Learning From SHOGUN" -- Free E-Book
Moderators: Mayhem, Steve Hubbell, Moderators
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Anjin-san
- Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 20:57 -0700
- Location: Wichita, KS, USA
"Learning From SHOGUN" -- Free E-Book
How very noble
He who finds no satori
In the lightning flash
-Basho
He who finds no satori
In the lightning flash
-Basho
-
Steve Hubbell
- Taisho
- Posts: 6050
- Joined: Thu Sep 19, 2002 15:25 -0700
- Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Looks interesting, thanks for the link...
I had found a book on the making of Shogun: the movie, but never ran across this book.
Have you read any of the books about Will Adams, the real-life Anjin-San?
I had found a book on the making of Shogun: the movie, but never ran across this book.
Have you read any of the books about Will Adams, the real-life Anjin-San?
The Needle-Watcher: The Will Adams Story, British Samurai
by Richard Blaker
Paperback: 494 pages
Publisher: Tuttle Pub (June 1, 1976)
Language: English
ISBN: 080481094X
Product Dimensions: 1.0 x 4.5 x 7.5 inches
Servant of the Shogun: Being the True Story of William Adams, Pilot and Samurai, the First Englishman in Japan
by Richard Tames
Hardcover: 132 pages
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (April 1, 1988)
Language: English
ISBN: 0312016034
Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 6.0 x 8.8 inches
Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened the East
by Giles Milton
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1 Amer ed edition (January 18, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN: 0374253854
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
The Dutch Discovery of Japan: The True Story Behind James Clavell's Famous Novel Shogun
by Dirk Barreveld
Paperback: 313 pages
Publisher: Writers Club Press (July 1, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN: 0595192610
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.0 x 0.8 inches
Adams the Pilot: The Life and Times of Captain William Adams : 1564-1620
by William Corr
Hardcover: 241 pages
Publisher: Routledge/Curzon (September 1, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN: 1873410441
Product Dimensions: 1.0 x 6.2 x 9.5 inches
Englishman or Samurai?: The story of Will Adams
by Ilza Veith
Unknown Binding: 184 pages
Publisher: Coronado Press (1981)
Language: English
ISBN: 0872911489
The first Englishman in Japan;: The story of Will Adams
by Philip G Rogers
Unknown Binding: 143 pages
Publisher: Harvill Press (1956)
Language: English
ASIN: B0007ILS06
Will Adams, the first Englishman in Japan: A romantic biographyby William Dalton
Unknown Binding: 298 pages
Publisher: J. Blackwood (1875)
Language: English
ASIN: B00088NZRE
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Anjin-san
- Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 20:57 -0700
- Location: Wichita, KS, USA
I've read Giles Milton's book.
Blaker's book is a novel; Dalton's book fills in the gaps with so much speculation, it might as well be a novel.
Since there's so very little about William Adams (aka Miura Anjin) himself, books tends to repeat the facts of the others while filling out the remainder with speculation about Adams, overviews of English culture, Japanese culture, or the European mercantile / naval system.
The one thing I think is interesting: Being an advisor to the shogun, Adams lived in Japan until the day he died and wasn't subject to the shogun's Expulsion Edicts against Westerners. So, should Sakai-sama ever want to include a foreigner in story, a character based on Adams could possibly appear in Usagi's comics and still be historically accurate.
Blaker's book is a novel; Dalton's book fills in the gaps with so much speculation, it might as well be a novel.
Since there's so very little about William Adams (aka Miura Anjin) himself, books tends to repeat the facts of the others while filling out the remainder with speculation about Adams, overviews of English culture, Japanese culture, or the European mercantile / naval system.
The one thing I think is interesting: Being an advisor to the shogun, Adams lived in Japan until the day he died and wasn't subject to the shogun's Expulsion Edicts against Westerners. So, should Sakai-sama ever want to include a foreigner in story, a character based on Adams could possibly appear in Usagi's comics and still be historically accurate.
How very noble
He who finds no satori
In the lightning flash
-Basho
He who finds no satori
In the lightning flash
-Basho
-
Steve Hubbell
- Taisho
- Posts: 6050
- Joined: Thu Sep 19, 2002 15:25 -0700
- Location: Kalamazoo, MI
I have a copy of Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened the East by Giles Milton, but have not gotten around to reading it. One of the local libraries has a copy of Servant of the Shogun: Being the True Story of William Adams, Pilot and Samurai, the First Englishman in Japan by Richard Tames. I've never actually sen any of the others, but have sen that The Needle-Watcher: The Will Adams Story, British Samurai by Richard Blaker is readily available as a used book through Amazon.
If you enjoyed "Shogun", have you read "Taiko" by Eiji Yoshikawa, author of "Musashi" ?
The early books in the Sano Ichiro series by Laura Joh Rowland are a good read as well, particularly the first three. The third one, "Way of the Traitor" takes place in Nagasaki. Slightly later time period than "Shogun", set during the late 1600's and early 1700's (Genroku period).
If you enjoyed "Shogun", have you read "Taiko" by Eiji Yoshikawa, author of "Musashi" ?
The early books in the Sano Ichiro series by Laura Joh Rowland are a good read as well, particularly the first three. The third one, "Way of the Traitor" takes place in Nagasaki. Slightly later time period than "Shogun", set during the late 1600's and early 1700's (Genroku period).
